Rwandan and Burundian soldiers exchanged gunfire on Friday at Lake Rweru in Bugesera District in the Eastern Province, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has said.

The incident, according to RDF,  occurred after a group of fishermen from Burundi illegally crossed into the Rwandan waters in the lake, "While Rwanda Defence Force was ordering the fishermen to return back to their country, Burundian soldiers intervened from their side and started shooting at RDF; which retaliated," read the statement in part. The Rwanda Defence Force said it suffered no casualties during the gunfire exchange; and the attackers returned back to Burundi.