Two injured after homemade bomb explodes inside Congolese Catholic church

Early on June 27 at the Emmanuel-Butsili Parish in the town of Beni, a homemade bomb was placed in the first row before the altar, damaging the inside of the building.

Rector of the parish, Father Isidore Kambale Masingo, told ACI Africa on Sunday that the "explosion inside the church occurred before the start of Sunday Mass."

"The explosion took place around 6 am when Holy Mass had not yet started. Two mothers were seriously injured and have been rushed to the hospital," said Masingo.

The two women injured had "arrived at the scene early in the morning to arrange the church for Sunday worship," Masingo continued. "The homemade bomb was placed where the choir set up their instruments, the first row after the altar."

Vicar general of the diocese of Butemb-Beni Monsignor Laurent Sondirya, told local media that he believes the attackers were "targeting a large crowd" because a Confirmation Mass was scheduled to take place that day.

"They were targeting a large crowd because the ceremony would bring together children, their parents and the faithful," said Sondirya.

According to the Catholic News Agency, "The area in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the explosion occurred has experienced attacks from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an ISIS affiliated rebel group from neighboring Uganda."

Three bomb attacks occurred in Beni over the weekend, according to AFP. After the explosion in the Catholic church, a suicide bombing reportedly occurred outside of a bar. On Saturday, a bomb exploded at a gas station on the outskirts of Beni.

Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku of Butembo-Beni condemned the recent attacks that have targeted Christians in his diocese.

Paluku said that the number of terror attacks seemed "particularly high in the northern part of our diocese."

"Armed groups are destroying schools and hospitals. Teachers and pupils are being killed. They are even killing the sick as they lie in their hospital beds. Not a day goes by without people being killed,” the bishop stated in a report published in May by Aid to the Church in Need.

Paluku added the need for support for the victims of terrorist attacks. "We need centers where people can go for therapy. Many people are traumatized."

"A large-scale project is underway to Islamize or expel the indigenous populations," he continued.

"Anyone who has been kidnapped by these terrorist groups and managed to escape from them alive has told the same story. They were given the choice between death and converting to Islam," he said.