Rebels overrun major city in Congo

NBC News — Rebel troops have captured a major city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The group, created just seven months ago, attacked the strategic provincial capital of Goma. The rebels seized part of the city, which is home to more than one million people, and the international airport.

Explosions and machine-gun fire rocked neighborhoods as rebels pushed forward on two fronts. The rebels are allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda, which the Rwandan government denies. The rebels are led by soldiers who rose up in mutiny eight months ago, accusing the government of failing to respect a 2009 peace agreement to integrate insurgents from a previous rebellion into the army.