(Reuters) -Rwandan-backed M23 rebels entered eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city Bukavu on Friday, a rebel leader told Reuters, as residents reported seeing the militants in the streets of a northern district.

(Reuters) - Rwandan-backed M23 rebels fighting in eastern Congo seized two towns on their march towards a provincial capital, residents and the rebels said on Friday, as the president seeks international support to end the crisis.

The rebels, who captured Goma last month, are advancing south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. If they succeed, it would mark a major territorial gain and further weaken Kinshasa's control in the east.