UN says peacekeepers killed in attack on DR Congo base

Rebels from a Ugandan-dominated group attacked a UN military base in DR Congo's unstable east, killing two peacekeepers and injuring 12 others, the UN mission said.

The Monday attack took place in Beni where UN soldiers have been battling the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims, a spokesman for the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo said.

Congolese troops had clashed with the rebels in the area on Sunday. The day before, the ADF attacked around 10 motorbike taxis in the locality.

"The Mamundioma base was attacked at 5:30 am," the UN mission known by its French acronym MONUSCO said, adding that UN ground and air forces had been deployed in the area.

A MONUSCO statement said "two peacekeepers were reported to have died and several others were reported to have been wounded."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, confirming the dead soldiers were Tanzanians and that 18 peacekeepers were wounded.

He urged Congolese authorities to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the attackers to justice.

Rich in precious minerals, the east of DRC has been unstable for 20 years.

Several dozen local and foreign armed groups stand accused of serious rights abuses against civilians, such as rape, killings and abductions.

The ADF has been accused by Kinshasa and the UN mission of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region since October 2014.

-- BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES