KINSHASA, June 3 (Reuters) – Fighters linked to Islamic State killed 16 civilians in an attack in eastern Congo near where Ebola cases have been recorded, a local military spokesperson said on Wednesday, underscoring the threat of armed conflict as health officials try to contain the outbreak.
• The Allied Democratic Forces carried out the attack on Tuesday night in the village of Mbau in North Kivu’s Beni territory, regional Congolese army spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo said in a statement.
• The ADF is a Ugandan group operating in eastern Congo that pledged allegiance to Islamic State a decade ago.
• There are four Ebola cases near the site of Tuesday’s attack, including two in the city of Beni and two in the town of Oicha, according to the North Kivu provincial government.
• In a separate attack at the weekend, ADF fighters killed 15 civilians and a soldier in the city of Beni, the government said.
• Congo has recorded 344 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 60 deaths, during this outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
• Ebola cases have also been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda.
(Reporting by Congo newsroom; Writing by Portia CroweEditing by Gareth Jones)
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