Panic spread in eastern Congo's main city on Thursday, with M23 rebels steadily inching closer to Goma and seizing a nearby town as they battle the Congolese army. Bombs were heard going off in the city's distant outskirts and hundreds of wounded civilians were brought in to the main hospital from the area of the fighting.

Laden with just the possessions they can carry, thousands of displaced people have reached the outskirts of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing a rapid M23 rebel advance that has taken more territory than ever before.

In eastern Congo, panic grips Goma as M23 rebels advance, capturing nearby towns. Goma, a key regional hub, faces heightened conflict, displacing over 7 million. Accusations against Rwanda for backing M23 persist as international bodies urge restraint.

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.

The M23 rebel group is advancing toward eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma. The United Nations says this has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks.

Luggage on their backs, they trudged all Wednesday morning along the road leading to downtown Goma, fleeing the advancing fighters in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The army acknowledged Tuesday a "breakthrough" by the M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the armed group fighting government forces has seized a trading hub that supplies the city of Goma.

Guterres condemned the renewed offensive launched by the M23 at the beginning of the year and its expansion into the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, including the recent seizure of Sake, which increased the threat to Goma, North Kivu's capital and an important and populated city, read a statement by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.

Tutsi-led M23 rebel group claims to defend Tutsi interests against ethnic Hutu militias whose leaders are linked to genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda - Anadolu Ajansı

The M23 rebel group in Democratic Republic of Congo has seized the eastern town of Minova, a main supply route for the provincial capital Goma, a local governor and a rebel leader said on Tuesday as the army reported fighting on all fronts.

The Congolese army says several towns that fell to armed groups in the eastern North Kivu and South Kivu provinces have been recaptured by government forces

The Congolese army acknowledged on 21 January the advance of M23 rebels in South Kivu province. Backed by Rwanda’s army, the rebels have captured a key town and are trying to isolate Goma as the Angola-led mediation efforts stall.