Col. Alain Kiwewa, the administrator of Lubero territory in North Kivu province, said residents and officials recovered 23 bodies from the Byambwe health center following Friday night’s raid.
He said 11 women were among the victims inside the facility, which serves as a referral center for conflict-displaced communities.
Additional civilians were killed in three nearby villages, bringing the death toll to 29, according to Kiwewa.
Local media reported that ADF fighters also set fire to parts of the health facility and several homes in the area.
“Attacks on health facilities are a crime against humanity. These despicable acts must not go unpunished,” Kiwewa said, calling on residents to support ongoing joint Congolese–Ugandan military operations targeting the group.
The attack comes weeks after another assault blamed on the ADF in the same territory left around 20 civilians dead in October.
Ugandan and Congolese forces have conducted joint operations against the ADF since 2021.
The group, which has operated in eastern DR Congo for years, is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) terror network.