Italian ambassador to DR Congo killed in UN convoy attack

Italy's ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed in an attack in the east of the country, its foreign ministry has said.

Luca Attanasio died in hospital on Monday after the United Nations convoy he was travelling in came under fire near Goma, a statement said.

The convoy reportedly belonged to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).

An Italian military police officer travelling with the envoy and a third person were also killed, reports say.

"It is with deep sadness that the foreign ministry confirms the death, today in Goma, of the Italian ambassador," the ministry's statement said.

The attack is believed to have been an attempted kidnapping, according to officials at the nearby Virunga National Park.

Armed groups are known to operate in an around the park, which borders both Rwanda and Uganda.

Militias also clash regularly in the east of the country, where a large UN force is struggling to keep the peace.