A fight against Ugandan Islamist rebels kicks off in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Army soldiers are heading east in a U.N.-backed mission to remove insurgents from the country's mineral-rich region.

The government troops are moving into positions held by an alliance of rebel groups who have operated in eastern Congo since the mid-2000s.

The alliance is believed to number up to 1,400 fighters.

This operation comes after government troops vanquished the M23 rebel movement last year.