Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels fighting in eastern Congo seized two towns on their march towards a provincial capital, residents and the rebels said on Friday, as the president seeks international support to end the crisis.

M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the airport serving the key city of Bukavu as they continue their advance. The militants' progress comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured a strategic airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their stranglehold over the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.

Analysts say the deadly march by Rwanda-backed rebels across eastern Congo could widen into a regional conflict drawing in even more countries, and the two nations most involved in the mineral-rich ar