The South African military said on Thursday two of its soldiers were killed and three wounded by a mortar bomb that landed inside a military base in Democratic Republic of Congo, where its troops are helping to fight armed groups.

South Africa said earlier this week that it would send 2 900 troops as part of its contribution to a force deployed by southern African regional bloc SADC to help Congo address deteriorating security in its restive eastern region.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement posted on X that the mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African contingent's military bases on Wednesday.

"As a result of this indirect fire, the SANDF suffered two fatalities and three members sustained injuries. The injured were taken to the nearest hospital in Goma for medical attention," the statement said.

An investigation into the incident will be conducted, the SANDF added.