Armed tribesmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have attacked Ugandan troops there in the northeastern town of Bunia, a military spokesman in Kampala said on Friday.

Six fighters from the Lendu ethnic group died in the attack in the early hours of January 1, while one Ugandan soldier was injured, according to Ugandan army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza.

He added that Ugandan soldiers had repelled the assault on Nyoka, close to Bunia airport.

"We don't know the motive of the attack, but our army managed to beat it off and killed six of the attackers. We could not establish how many were injured because their colleagues fled with them and our army never pursued them," Bantariza told AFP. The injured Ugandan soldier was shot in the leg, he said.

Following the large-scale withdrawal of Ugandan troops in the DRC, where they back rebels, just two of the original 14 Ugandan battalions remain in the vast country.

Kampala has insisted the remaining troops will only be sent home when UN peacekeepers are deployed to quell Uganda's security concerns in the DRC, where Ugandan insurgents have rearguard bases.