The Chinese company Sinohydro suffered an attack on Sunday by unidentified gunmen close to the town of Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s eastern province of North Kivu, the commercial representative of the company in Kinshasa, Luo Xiaowei, told Xinhua.

Gunmen launched the attack at the construction site along the National Road No. 4 (RN4), Luo said on Monday, without reporting casualties.

The DRC armed forces on guard exchanged fire with the assailants, "but for now we do not know the consequences," he said.

According to the latest information, there was no serious destruction or injuries. Sinohydro has already withdrawn all its employees and important materials from the locality, the commercial representative said.

Conflicts were frequently reported in North Kivu before a military crackdown months ago on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebels. The situation has since improved, but insurgents are still able to attack in small groups, sometimes targeting foreigners.