A military spokesperson announced the death of at least five people, including three women and a girl, in a bomb attack on a city in North Kivu province, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Wednesday.
The spokesperson accused the M23 rebel movement of carrying out the attack.
This deadly assault highlights the increasing civilian toll in the conflict, which has been ongoing for over two years between government forces and the rebel group.
According to UN data, the conflict has resulted in the displacement of at least 1.5 million people.
Mak Hazukay, the army spokesperson in North Kivu, where the rebellion began in early 2022, stated that the rebels launched their bomb attack on a neighborhood in Kanyabayonga city on Wednesday afternoon.
Hazukay attributed the responsibility for the attack to the M23 rebel movement and noted that it also injured three other individuals.
Baraka Mungumua, the deputy mayor of Kanyabayonga, reported that the latest attack occurred as some displaced residents were preparing to return to Kanyabayonga.
He added that due to the numerous bombs dropped on the city, people were forced to flee the area again.
Mungumua estimated that only about 20% of the city's nearly 63,000 residents remained in the area.
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