Two days after the tragedy, the Islamic State (EI) Central Africa branch claimed responsibility for the bombing that injured 14 people on Monday, October 3. The incident occurred in a makeshift cinema in the Vusenzera neighborhood in the city of Butembo, North Kivu region.
The Islamic State, a political-military terrorist organization with a Salafist jihadist ideology, claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday evening in Butembo. It is through a message written in Arabic, broadcast on its website and relayed by the news website 7sur7.CD.
“By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the caliphate detonated an explosive device on a gathering of Christians inside a cinema, in the district (Vusenzera) of Butembo yesterday (Monday evening: Ed.). This caused the injury of about 10 people, and praise be to God,” the Islamic State wrote.
A homemade bomb was the cause of the attack
The incident occurred on Monday evening in a makeshift cinema in the town of Butembo where a home-made bomb exploded. Many human damages are recorded. A total of 14 people were injured, 10 of whom are being treated at the university clinics of the Catholic University of Graben (UCG), while 4 are being treated at the Matanda hospital.
Several other localities targeted well before Vusenzera
A day earlier, on Sunday, the civil society of the commune of Bulengera had alerted on the discovery of two grenades in Vutahira, in the Kyaghala district. The security services had rushed there to rescue them.
In early September, a post of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) in the commune of Bulengera in the city of Butembo was targeted. Two intelligence officers were injured in a mine explosion. According to statements made by the security services on Tuesday, the person who planted the explosive device has already been arrested.
