(Reuters) -Chaotic scenes unfolded in the eastern Congo city of Bukavu on Saturday after M23 rebels reached its outskirts, while Congo's prime minister declined to comment on a threat by Uganda's army chief that raised fears of a spiral into a wider regional war.

Chaotic scenes have been unfolding in Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the M23 rebel group continues its offensive in the region. On Saturday there were reports of sporadic gunfire and widespread looting in the city, including at a World Food Programme depot, with residents sheltering in their homes.

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo have claimed that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance towards the Kavumu airport

Residents and business owners in eastern Congo's second largest city sat in wait on Saturday morning after a night of loud gunfire marking the ongoing advance of Rwanda-backed rebels. Families remained indoors and shops remained closed as M23 fighters entered the outskirts of Bukavu — a city of about 1.

Rebels in eastern Congo entered the provincial capital of Bukavu on Friday evening and will continue operations there on Saturday, Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes the M23 rebels,

The Rwandan-backed rebels' entry into Bukavu follows their capture of Goma, defying international calls for a ceasefire.

General António Guterres urges for dialogue between warring parties in Congo's east''In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congolese people have been suffering yet again from a brutal cycle of violence,

(Reuters) -Chaotic scenes unfolded in the eastern Congo city of Bukavu on Saturday after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels reached its outskirts, while a threat by Uganda's army chief to attack a Congolese town raised fears of the conflict flaring into a wider regional war.