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Exclusive eyewitness testimony reveals horrific details of deadly church attack in African nation
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Warning: This article contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.
FIRST ON FOX – Dramatic testimony has been revealed exclusively to Fox News Digital, giving new details from the scene of the horrific massacre Sunday by Jihadists allied to the Islamic State of at least 49 Christians worshiping in a church in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Nine of those who were decapitated were children. Several other children, the number isn’t clear, were abducted. The attackers were members of the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a sanctioned rebel group with roots in Uganda.
With the assistance of Open Doors UK, Fox News Digital reached a local church partner of the organization in the DRC, who rushed to witness the scene of the attack, in the village of Komanda, just hours after it took place. Open Doors is a global Christian charity which supports and speaks up for Christians persecuted for their faith.
POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS BRUTAL MACHETE ATTACK THAT KILLED 49 CHRISTIANS DURING PRAYER IN DR CONGO
A screenshot shows villagers inspecting the damage left by jihadi terrorists who killed 49 Christians in DR Congo on Sunday. (Open Doors)
From survivors in the village, including a shop owner who managed to be an eyewitness and remarkably escaped detection by the attackers even though his shop was burnt down, and the reported position of the bodies of those hacked to death, the church worker pieced together an account of how the attack happened.
Judith, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told Fox News Digital it was clear something was wrong even before she reached the village. «On our way we could see people already leaving, carrying their bags, heading for more secure areas.
«In Komanda there were no activities, and people were standing in groups around the shops and the places that had been burnt. And people were sad. There was sadness everywhere.»
Fox News Digital has learned worshipers had come from surrounding villages to celebrate the church’s Silver Jubilee in prayer and to pray for «the security situation» – to pray for peace.
«Attackers came in» she said, «and they beheaded Christians in the church.» The jihadis «killed those they met in the church hall. Those who tried to flee, they caught them and killed them in the compound. And then some others who managed to run towards the road, those also were caught and killed. All of them were killed with machetes. Most of those Christians who were killed, were Catholics.»
WIDESPREAD KILLING, RAPE, DISEASE AND WAR MAKE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO HELL ON EARTH
Villagers walk toward the burial site of 49 Christians killed by jihadists in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Open Doors)
Another shopkeeper whose business was also burned down told Judith «we don’t even understand why all this is happening.»
The U.N.’s MONUSCO (the Stabilization Mission in the DRC) shipped in earth-digging «Caterpillars» to dig a huge crater in the village, a mass grave into which simple boxes which formed coffins were placed for the dead. Some of those buried that day had come to Komanda for safety after already being attacked in other areas before.
At Monday’s funeral, Judith said, «People were crying, weeping, some crying for their children who had been kidnapped. One woman cried for the man she was shortly due to marry, now lying dead. Others were also crying that this is the person that was taking care of me. Now the person is no more.
«There was sadness upon sadness everywhere. Everything they had is lost, they have nothing now.»
Villagers pray together for the 49 Christians killed last Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo by ISIS-linked extremists. (Open Doors)
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, on Monday condemned the attack on X, posting «This deadly escalation in their targeting of Christians makes the peace process, championed by @POTUS and @SecRubio even more urgent. We must focus all energies on eradicating these ISIS terrorists and forging a new regional economic path.»
«This is a crisis of biblical proportions», Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, told Fox News Digital, adding «This is a silent slaughter happening, which nobody is discussing. It’s like the slaughter of the innocents in the Bible, really. I mean, women and children are being targeted along with men. Nobody is reporting on it. Nobody even seems to be particularly concerned about it.»
POPE, STATE DEPARTMENT CONDEMN LATEST MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS IN NIGERIA
Villagers bury their dead following the murder of 49 Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo by ISIS-linked jihadists. (Open Doors )
Blythe said that the Islamists are attempting to create a caliphate with its strict Islamic laws in a country which is 80-95% Christian.
«Christians are not even sleeping in their houses at night. They would rather sleep in the jungle at risk of wild animals than be sitting ducks in their houses when the extremists attack. In this part of Sub-Saharan Africa, we think that more than 16 million Christians have been displaced as a result of the violence. The church is on the run. Christians are snatching up their children and running for their lives, often at night.»
«This is not an isolated event,» Jo Newhouse, a Sub-Sahara specialist for Open Doors, told Fox News Digital. The organization reports that more than 80 local villagers, largely Christians, have been killed in other attacks in just this month of July alone. «We need the U.S. to pay attention about what is happening and use your influence for the church here. Do not be blind to what is happening here. Pay attention.»
Judith heard about President Donald Trump’s brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda. However, it hasn’t so far made any difference to the situation where she is, in the eastern part of the country. «We have seen many peace accords which have not given any result,» she said. «The peace accord that is needed is the one with the ADF. For now, they continue attacks on the people.»
People gather around the charred remains of a burned vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern DR Congo, where 49 worshipers were killed at a church service by jihadists. (Olivier Okande/UGC via AP)
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Villagers saw the Islamist attackers withdraw to a point a few miles away. A local source says no arrests have been made. Another attack can come at any time.
«If the Trump administration can put pressure on governments like Uganda and Rwanda to withdraw their forces here,» Judith said «Congo would be fine».
christianity religion,africa,terrorism,isis
Un nuevo ataque ruso con drones impactó sobre una zona residencial de la localidad de Bogodukhiv, en la región de Kharkiv, noreste de Ucrania. El bombardeo dejó esta madrugada cuatro víctimas mortales, incluidos tres niños, según informó el Servicio Estatal de Emergencias de Ucrania.
Entre los fallecidos se encuentran dos niños de un año, una niña de dos años y un hombre de 34 años, cuyos cuerpos fueron recuperados por rescatistas entre los escombros tras el ataque.
La vivienda impactada quedó completamente destruida y se originó un incendio en la zona de 60 m2, de acuerdo con el informe oficial. Además de las cuatro víctimas fatales, otras dos personas —una de ellas una mujer embarazada de 35 años— resultaron heridas.
Tras el ataque, equipos del Servicio Estatal de Emergencias, entre ellos zapadores y adiestradores caninos, participaron en las labores para eliminar los restos y asegurar la zona afectada. El servicio de rescate informó además que psicólogos estuvieron presentes en el lugar para brindar apoyo a los afectados por el suceso.
La fiscalía regional afirmó que inició una investigación “por la comisión de un crimen de guerra que ha provocado la muerte de civiles”.
En Zaporizhzhia, la ofensiva dejó cerca de 11.000 usuarios sin electricidad, según informó el gobernador Iván Fedorov.
El Estado Mayor de las Fuerzas Armadas de Ucrania informó que, durante la madrugada del 11 de febrero (a partir de las 18:30 del 10 de febrero), Rusia lanzó 129 ataques con drones de los tipos Shahed (de fabricación iraní), Gerbera, Italmas y otros modelos, desde las regiones de Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (todas en Rusia) y desde Donetsk, en territorio ucraniano. Alrededor de 80 de estos drones eran del tipo Shahed.
La ofensiva aérea fue enfrentada por la aviación ucraniana, tropas de misiles antiaéreos, unidades de guerra electrónica y sistemas no tripulados. Según los datos preliminares, hasta las 08:00 (horario local), la defensa aérea ucraniana logró derribar o neutralizar 112 drones enemigos.
En las horas previas al reciente ataque, el presidente ucraniano Volodimir Zelensky anunció una reestructuración de su defensa aérea en varias regiones tras los continuos bombardeos rusos que dejaron a millones de personas sin electricidad ni calefacción durante el invierno.
La decisión del mandatario fue oficializada luego de reunirse con el comandante en jefe de las Fuerzas Armadas, el jefe del Estado Mayor y el ministro de Defensa. A su vez, ordenó transformar por completo el funcionamiento de los sistemas defensivos en las zonas más afectadas.
Zelensky explicó que la reorganización abarcará tanto a los interceptores como a los grupos móviles de fuego y toda la estructura de las defensas aéreas locales. El presidente agradeció el esfuerzo de los equipos de protección civil, la colaboración de los aliados internacionales que enviaron ayuda y el trabajo de los electricistas que siguen restableciendo el suministro.
En ciertas divisiones administrativas, la reorganización será casi total, con una nueva coordinación de interceptores, unidades móviles adicionales y la defensa de corto alcance. Además, se implementarán ajustes en la gestión y supervisión del suministro de drones, armamento y personal, con énfasis en la formación y refuerzo de brigadas como eje central del nuevo esquema defensivo.
El comandante en jefe de Ucrania, coronel general Oleksandr Syrskyi, informó que la línea del frente actual se extiende a lo largo de unos 1.200 kilómetros en las regiones oriental y sur del país.
Syrskyi destacó que los avances tecnológicos en el uso de drones por parte de ambos bandos han ampliado la llamada “zona de muerte”, es decir, el área de mayor riesgo para las tropas, que ahora alcanza una profundidad de hasta 20 kilómetros.
20260129_zaf_ap3_090.jpg,290126_ukraine_upo_00_14_.jpg,press
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Grand jury rejects DOJ effort to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged military to defy illegal orders
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A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders in a video posted online.
The DOJ opened an investigation into the video featuring six Democratic lawmakers calling on troops and members of the intelligence community to defy illegal orders from the federal government. The lawmakers all served in the military or at intelligence agencies.
The lawmakers in the video were Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, as well as Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.
«This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,» the lawmakers said in the video. «Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.»
DEM SENATOR SAYS SHE’S UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OVER ‘UNLAWFUL ORDERS’ VIDEO
A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Grand jurors declined to sign off on charges against the lawmakers, according to The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had pursued indictments against all six lawmakers or what charges they attempted to bring.
Prosecutors could still attempt to secure an indictmentto secure an indictment against the Democrats.
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level» and «should be in jail.» He even suggested they should be executed over the video, although he later attempted to walk that comment back.
Slotkin, who previously worked at the CIA and Defense Department, was targeted with a bomb threat just days after the clip and Trump’s subsequent statements suggesting the Democrats be executed.
SEN MARK KELLY DIGS IN ON ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ STANCE, TELLS JIMMY KIMMEL HE’S ‘NOT BACKING DOWN’
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level.» (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law,» Slotkin said in a statement on Tuesday. «But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country.»
Kelly, a former Navy pilot, called the attempt to bring charges an «outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackeys.»
«Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him,» Kelly said on X. «The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.»
In November, the Pentagon launched an investigation into Kelly, pointing to a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly and is attempting to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain over his participation in the video, which affirms that refusing unlawful orders is a standard part of military protocol.
Prosecutors could still attempt again to secure an indictment against the Democrats. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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«As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice,» Hegseth wrote in an X post on Jan. 5.
Kelly responded by suing Hegseth to block those proceedings, which he called an unconstitutional act of retribution.
During a hearing last week, a judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Hegseth’s move last month to censure the Arizona senator.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
politics,military,pentagon,donald trump,pete hegseth,justice department,crime world
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