Dozens killed in Christmas bombing of a restaurant in DR Congo

At least six people were killed in a suicide bomb explosion late Saturday, in the middle of Christmas celebration, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), government officials have confirmed

Reports indicate that more than 30 people were celebrating Christmas at the In Box restaurant when the bomb went off.

“The suicide bomber, prevented by security guards from entering a crowded bar, activated the bomb at the entrance of the bar,” the regional governor’s spokesman, General Ekenge Sylvain, said in a statement.

Officials blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) for Saturday’s attack. The militia is one of the deadliest armed groups in the region and is claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group as its central Africa arm.

The AFP news agency said its correspondent saw the remains of three bodies at the site of the explosion, the In Box restaurant. The remains of tables, chairs, bottles and glasses were scattered across the blast site.

One city hall source told AFP that two children were among the dead, as well as two local officials.

More than 30 people were celebrating Christmas there when the bomb went off, two witnesses told AFP.

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