The M23 rebel group has captured the strategically important village of Katale in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after intense fighting, according to local radio station Okapi.
With Katale's fall, the rebels now have a direct route to the district's administrative center, the town of Masisi, the station highlighted.
Regular Congolese army units, supported by pro-government militia detachments, defended the settlement. The fighting continued throughout the first half of Friday. Government forces had to withdraw from Katale. There is no information about possible casualties on either side.
The radio station reported that M23 rebels launched an offensive in several directions in the Masisi district, breaking the period of peace that had lasted in this area of the DRC for the past few weeks. The fighting resumed despite the ceasefire between government forces and the M23 group that had been in effect in North Kivu since last August.
The eastern region of the DRC has faced persistent insecurity due to numerous rebel factions, particularly the M23 group. This instability has resulted in significant population displacement, with millions having to abandon their homes, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.