Authorities say the governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries sustained in fighting on the front line as M23 rebels close in on Goma.

The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, local authorities say, as M23 rebel fighters close in on the provincial capital,

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo has died from injuries suffered on the frontline during an offensive by M23 rebels in the east, a government source and an internal UN report seen by Reuters confirmed on Friday.

Recent clashes between government forces and M23 have forced thousands of residents to flee provincial capital Goma - Anadolu Ajansı

As fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese armed forces intensifies, Western governments have urged their citizens to leave the main city of Goma.

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.