Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo left six United Nations peacekeepers dead, UN officials said Saturday.

Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the North Kivu province,

Hundreds of injured men, women and children have been injured and taken to hospitals in and around Goma as fighting has intensified between the M23 and government troops. Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed as they also fought with M23,