Sources: Three dead and UN peacekeepers wounded in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The origin of the strike has not been confirmed.

The capital of North Kivu has been surrounded in the north and west by the Rwandan army and M23 rebels for several months.

Fighting with the Congolese army is a regular occurrence on the outskirts of the city, while the rebels, with support from Kigali, are continuing to expand their power in the east of the country.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the dead and two injured were Romanian nationals and that the fourth injured person was of another nationality.

Several Romanian television stations – including the state broadcaster TVR Info – described the killed fighter as a “Romanian mercenary” who was acting on behalf of the Congolese army.

About 200 kilometers north of Goma, in Butembo, at least two soldiers were killed in an ambush, local administrator Colonel Alain Kiwewa told AFP.

He said he did not yet have any further information about the identity of the attackers and that investigations had been launched.

However, Kiwewa said the killed soldiers had supported other ADF rebel fighters.

Since the beginning of the month, around 150 people have been killed in attacks attributed to the ADF. The ADF originate from neighboring Uganda and most of its members pledge allegiance to the terrorist militia “Islamic State.”

Also near Butembo, a MONUSCO (UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) convoy was attacked by unknown armed men on Saturday evening on its way back from an operation.

During the attack, a peacekeeper was shot in the leg.

Vivian van de Perre, deputy head of the UN mission, condemned “the violence against peacekeepers” and reiterated the need for “unhindered access to protect civilians”.

On Sunday, Pope Francis deplored the increase in violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and appealed to national authorities and the international community to “protect the lives of civilians”.

sm-ah/nmc/bc