UN convoy in Congo (file)
UN convoy in Congo (file)Thinkstock

A UN convoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was ambushed on Wednesday apparently by Ugandan rebel forces, who murdered two UN peacekeepers and wounded 13 others according to CNN.

In a UN statement, it was reported that four other peacekeepers have gone missing since the attack, which occurred in Beni, a village in the northeast of the country not far from the Uganda border. The peacekeepers who were killed hailed from Tanzania.

"The U.N. remains committed to taking all necessary actions...to protect civilians and neutralize armed groups in eastern DRC," read a UN statement after the attack.

The lethal incident comes a day after gunfire targeted a UN helicopter with the commander of the UN mission in the Congo on board - the helicopter managed to hold up despite the shots and landed without trouble.

In the eastern Congo, the UN mission is focused on backing the army as it fights Ugandan rebels, with the Allied Democratic Forces group in Uganda reportedly conducting numerous lethal attacks on villages in eastern Congo in the last few months.

The current conflict follows on instability that has continued even after a conflict from 1998 to 2003 ended, leaving millions dead.

Due to that instability, armed rebel forces have been wreaking havoc in the area, which has massive natural resources of gold and diamonds.