DR Congo forces neutralize 8 kamikaze drones targeting international airport in northeast

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo has neutralized eight kamikaze drones targeting Kisangani Bangoka International Airport over the weekend, preventing potential damage to the facility in the country’s northeast, provincial authorities said.

In a statement issued late Sunday, the provincial government of Tshopo blamed the attack on Rwanda and the AFC/M23 rebel coalition, describing it as a “barbaric, unjust, and persistent aggression.”

The Congolese government, the UN and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, an allegation Kigali denies.

The rebel group, which has been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo, controls significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized earlier in 2025.

The provincial government reassured residents of Kisangani and Tshopo province that the situation is under control, urging the public to continue their activities normally and to trust the security forces amid ongoing tensions.