2 killed in attack on provincial offices in southern DR Congo

Two people, including a police officer, were killed when an assailant attacked provincial offices in the southern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, police and provincial authorities said.

The attack at the Haut-Katanga provincial headquarters in Lubumbashi took place in the morning.

Police said an unidentified assailant armed with two machetes forced his way through the entrance to the provincial headquarters at around 10 am local time (0800GMT) and tried to disarm one of the security guards on duty.

The situation quickly escalated when another security guard positioned nearby opened fire, killing the assailant, police said.

Two people were killed in the incident: the police officer who was initially attacked and the assailant.

Haut-Katanga provincial Interior and Security Minister Jean-Jacques Kashiba said an extraordinary meeting of the provincial security council was expected to be held to discuss the matter.

He added that investigations were underway to establish the attacker’s identity and the exact circumstances of the incident.

Local media reported that four other security personnel were seriously injured in the incident and admitted to a nearby health facility.