(Reuters) -Crowds fled as gunfire rang out at a rally held by the leader of the M23 rebel group, Corneille Nangaa, in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Bukavu on Thursday, residents said.

Gunfire disrupted a rally by M23 leader Corneille Nangaa in Bukavu, escalating fears of regional conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbors. M23 claims territorial control and is attempting to establish order,

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the AFC rebel alliance that also includes M23, addresses a press conference at the Serena Hotel in Goma, North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo January 30,

Gunfire and explosions have ripped through a rally held by rebel leaders in a city they recently captured in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Videos show chaotic scenes with bodies on the streets after the crowd fled the rally in Bukavu,