KIGALI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) has accused Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) of firing rockets into Rwanda, the Rwanda military said in a statement.

The two 122mm rockets stroke along the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Nyabigoma cell, Kinigi sector, Musanze district on June 10 at 11:55 am, said the statement issued on Friday, adding there were no casualties but the local population was terrified.

The statement from Rwanda came as the Congolese Army in the eastern North Kivu province also reportedly accused Rwanda of firing five rockets that landed in the Congolese territory when the DRC military was battling M23 rebels in a mountain area close to the border with Rwanda and Uganda.

Tensions between the two neighboring countries intensified in May after DRC accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in DRC's northeastern North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda, in renewed fighting that has displaced more than 117,000 people in DRC's Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories inside the province.

Late last month, the DRC government classified the M23 as a terrorist group before suspending all flights of RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda, to the DRC soil after a national security meeting chaired by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, based on evidence that the M23 is supported by the Rwandan army.

Rwanda has denied on different occasions allegations that it involved itself in supporting the activities of the M23 rebel attacks in DRC.

The Rwandan government has also accused the Congolese army of supporting FDLR, an armed rebel group active in eastern DRC. The group has been accused of committing gross human rights violations in eastern DRC and neighboring countries. FDLR is largely composed of elements widely blamed for the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Enditem

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