Islamic Jihadists Massacre Dozens of Congolese Christians

An Islamic terror group targeted and murdered nearly 50 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The series of brutal attacks began at beginning of May, leaving many dead and more running for safety.

Islamic jihadists stormed the predominantly Christian eastern region of the Congo on the night of May 4, murdering approximately 34 people, including eight women and four children.

"Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., the enemy managed to get past army positions and kill peaceful residents in their homes, slashing their throats," local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda told Agence France-Press after the May 4 attack.

Two days later assailants killed 13 people, including two from the mission, Church on the Rock.

The terror group is called Muslim Defense International and has operated for more than 20 years. The last couple of years have been the bloodiest. According to the United Nations, the group has killed more than 500 people in the area since 2014.

The constant violence in a region of the Congo that is more than 95 percent Christian has forced many to flee. The threat of bloodshed has even forced Church on the Rock to shut down its missions and schools.

Islamic Jihadists Massacre Dozens of Congolese Christians

"We are heartbroken, questioning our faith, half-terrified, but determined and carrying on," Church on the Rock's founder Mike Anticoli told World Watch Monitor. "We may be targeted due to the fact that we train local leaders and aspiring missionaries from several churches and denominations."