The military governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province has died from gunshot wounds suffered on the front line during an offensive by M23 rebels, a government source and a U.N. report said on Friday.

Rebels from the Rwanda-backed M23 have killed a military governor as they advanced through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reports say. Fighting between the M23 and DR Congo's army has intensified since the start of the year, with the rebels seizing control of more territory than ever.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken over the eastern town of Minova, according to various sources. The fall of the city puts the rebels within 40km (25 miles) of provincial capital,

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.