Congo repels overnight rebel advance on Goma city, say sources

(Reuters) - Congolese troops pushed back an attempted overnight advance by Rwanda-backed rebels on the eastern city of Goma, two Congolese army sources said on Saturday, after the sound of nearby heavy bombardment rocked the city in the early hours.

The situation appeared calm in the provincial capital of over 1 million people by Saturday morning with people tentatively going out about their business amid a heavy police presence, Reuters reporters there said.

The three-year M23 insurgency in Democratic Republic of Congo's mineral-rich east has intensified in January with rebels seizing control of more territory than ever before and vowing on Friday to take Goma.

Congolese forces repelled an offensive on the city overnight by maintaining a defensive line, a Congolese military source said.

An army officer, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the rebels had targeted these defences with heavy weapons and the army had responded.

"We stopped their advance. We're keeping them at a distance from Goma," the officer said.

The Congolese government and army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The recent sharp escalation has prompted the United Nations to warn of the risk of a broader regional war. Congo, the U.N. and others accuse neighbouring Rwanda of fuelling the conflict with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this.

In recent days, North Kivu's military governor was killed on the front line. Meanwhile, three South African servicemen were killed and 14 more were wounded in fighting in the east on Thursday, their military union said on Saturday. South Africa is among a number of foreign forces helping Congolese troops fight rebels in the region.

The surge in hostilities has also deepened eastern provinces' already dire humanitarian situation with 400,000 more people forced to flee their homes this year alone, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

"The situation facing Goma's civilians is becoming increasingly perilous and the humanitarian needs are enormous," Human Rights Watch said on Saturday.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the European Union warned about the threat to Goma and called on M23 to stop its advance.

In a statement on Saturday, the EU said "Rwanda must cease its support for the M23 and withdraw."

The Rwandan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The M23 briefly managed to take over Goma during a previous rebellion in 2012, prompting international donors to cut aid to Rwanda. Even then, the rebels did not hold as much ground as they do now.

(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Toby Chopra)