This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7124279.stm

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
DR Congo rebels take eastern town DR Congo army in rebel offensive
(about 8 hours later)
The Democratic Republic of Congo's army is moving reinforcements to an eastern town captured by fighters loyal to the renegade general, Laurent Nkunda. The Democratic Republic of Congo's army has launched an attack against rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, using helicopter gunships and heavy artillery.
Military vehicles are taking hundreds of government soldiers armed with rocket launchers towards Nyanzale, about 100km (62 miles) north of Goma. A BBC correspondent in the east of DR Congo says it is the start of a long-anticipated offensive.
The Congolese military base there was abandoned following the rebel attack. UN peacekeepers say government forces are attempting to take Mushake, a rebel stronghold 40km north-west of Goma, a day after they lost a battle.
Most of the town's 40,000 population has fled. The UN said the rebels had also attacked three nearby villages. Gen Nkunda's men took a nearby town, forcing its 40,000 residents to flee.
There are no reports of civilian casualties but medical sources told the AFP news agency that several wounded government soldiers were in nearby hospitals. Government forces have repeatedly threatened Gen Nkunda with force unless he relinquishes his control over areas close to the Rwandan border.
Hitting hard But he claims he is defending his own Tutsi community against Rwandan Hutu rebels responsible for the Rwandan genocide in 1994, who have been roaming the east of DR Congo ever since.
The three villages are close to the rebel stronghold of Laurent Nkunda, a Tutsi rebel leader. Strategic
He claims he is defending his own community against Rwandan Hutu rebels responsible for the Rwandan genocide in 1994, who have been roaming the east of DR Congo ever since. The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the region says Mushake looks over a key road that links the regional capital, Goma, with valuable tin mines and rich farming land further west.
But the elected Congolese government has made a commitment to flush out the Rwandan Hutu rebels, and says Mr Nkunda and his 6,000-8,000 men should also lay down their arms. class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7053567.stm">Behind Congo's war games class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/3786883.stm">Profile: Renegade general
In recent days, DR Congo's army officials said they were preparing an offensive against Mr Nkunda's rebels. But the rebels have hit first and hard. The small hilly town is a stronghold of the rebels and its buzzing market centre is inhabited mainly by Tutsi cattle farmers.
It is being attacked by ground troops using heavy artillery supported by two attack helicopters of the government forces.
A military spokesman for the UN mission in DR Congo said UN peacekeepers are bringing logistic support to the government forces, but are not engaged in any fighting.
The attack comes a day after the rebels captured the town of Nyanzale, about 100km further north.
The rebels forced the government soldiers to pull out and took control of their military base there.
Witnesses said over 40,000 civilians fled as a result.
There were no reports of civilian casualties but medical sources told the AFP news agency that several wounded government soldiers were in nearby hospitals.
The elected Congolese government has made a commitment to flush out the Rwandan Hutu rebels, and says Mr Nkunda and his 6,000-8,000 men should also lay down their arms.
Some 15,000 UN peacekeepers are in DR Congo to secure peace after a five-year conflict officially ended in 2002.