There are no reports of any casualties as a result of the attack in Kibindi district in North Kivu province, which has been blamed on fighters of the M23 group.

The UN has condemned the attack on their compound.

Earlier this week, the Congolese army regained control of villages in the area after heavy fighting.

The upsurge in clashes since April has prompted 175,000 people to flee their homes.

The fighting has also raised tensions between DR Congo and Rwanda, which denies supporting the rebels.

On Wednesday, a top UN official told the Security Council that M23 fighters were operating like a conventional army with the military capacity to overrun UN troops.