Fighters from the M23 rebel group have captured the town of Nyanzale in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from the military.
“We are now in Nyanzale. The enemy has fled,” rebel spokesman Willie Ngoma told media.
Military commander Jerome Chico Tsitambwe confirmed to Reuters that Nyanzare had been captured by rebels.
Nyanzale, about 130 km (80 miles) north of the city of Goma, is a haven for people displaced by fighting in the surrounding area.
Earlier this week, thousands fled again when Nyanzare came under fire.
Mr Ngoma said many people were now returning to the city.
Isaac Kibira, deputy governor of the nearby town of Bambo, said M23s fired “indiscriminately” before taking Nyanzare.”
In the morning we became aware of the occupation of Nyanzare by the M23 and the death toll rose to 15,” Kibira told Reuters.
Formed as a separate rebel faction, M23 began operations in 2012, ostensibly to protect the local Tutsi population, who had long complained of persecution and discrimination.
In 2021, militants have taken up arms again, citing broken promises in the previous peace agreement.
Although the M23 jets are well-equipped, the group denies being a proxy for Rwanda.
On Monday, the European Union said it was “very concerned about the escalation in violence” and called for dialogue between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to address the root causes of the conflict.