The attack was launched a few meters from the city’s commercial center as the attackers and government soldiers exchanged gunfire, said the sources on site to Xinhua.

Military and civilian sources have not yet reported a death toll, but civilians have fled en masse to escape the fighting that involved heavy weaponry.

The attack came as U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley arrived this morning in the city of Goma, the capital of the same province of North Kivu, which has been plagued by various armed groups for decades.

A few weeks ago, ADF rebels attacked two regular army positions on the Mbau-Kamango axis where more than 30 civilians were killed and two UN peacekeepers were killed.

Thousands of civilians have been killed since 2016 following multiple attacks by the rebels who have been active in this part of the country for more than 20 years, according to the UN and the authorities.