A GROUP of unknown gunmen attacked early Sunday against a mining company located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and kidnapped five Chinese nationals.

The Chinese embassy to the DRC confirmed the attack in a statement, adding that five Chinese nationals have been abducted.

It was not clear who carried out the attack near the village of Mukera in South Kivu province.

“An armed group exchanged fire with police. Five Chinese nationals were kidnapped,” Major Dieudonne Kasereka, the army spokesman in the region, said.

Gunmen also killed a policeman during the attack.

Tensions have been on the rise since the beginning of the year in the eastern part of the country, where attacks by local militants targeting military positions and civilians have been frequently reported.

The government has also imposed a state of siege in Ituri and North Kivu provinces since April 30.

The embassy added that the security situation in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces is “extremely severe” with multiple reported incidents of armed robbery and kidnappings. It also advised Chinese nationals not to travel to and evacuate from these high-risk areas.

Restive eastern Congo is a difficult place to operate. Various militias fight to control land and natural resources. In recent weeks, the army has clashed with the M23 rebel group a few hundred kilometers north of the weekend’s attack, near the border with Uganda, forcing thousands to flee. (SD-Xinhua)