Congolese army says it has taken 2 more towns from M23 rebels

GOMA, Congo – The Congolese army says it has taken two more towns in eastern Congo in fresh fighting against the M23 rebels.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Olivier Hamuli told The Associated Press that the army on Sunday gained control of Kiwanja and Buhumba towns in the Rutshuru area of North Kivu province, near Congo's border with Rwanda.

The army, using tanks and heavy artillery, is fighting the M23 rebels in the hills surrounding Kibumba town. The army said it won control of Kibumba on Saturday and now is advancing on the M23 rebels who retreated to the hills toward the Rwandan border.

United Nations forces are not participating in the fighting, but are in armored personnel carriers and jeeps with mounted machine guns several kilometers (miles) behind the army forces.