Congolese president hit by gunfire

Congo's embattled President Laurent Kabila was shot and wounded by one of his own bodyguards during an attempted coup d'etat, a senior security official says.

Intelligence officers in Rwanda, which supports rebels battling Kabila's government, however, say they have unconfirmed reports that Kabila was dead.

Senior Congolese officials insist their president is alive.

"President Kabila is alive and everything is OK," said Congolese Gen. Francois Olenga. He gave no further details.

A member of Kabila's security entourage said on condition of anonymity that a bodyguard had shot the president in the back and right leg. Kabila was alive and was being treated by doctors, he said.

A senior military official in neighbouring Republic of Congo also says Kabila had been wounded, adding it is unclear who is in control of the Kinshasa government. The official, who also declined to be named, spoke from his country's capital of Brazzaville.

The conflicting reports came hours after witnesses told of 30 minutes of gunfire around the home of Kabila, who has been fighting multiple rebel armies for more than two years. It is unclear who is responsible for the shooting.

A presidential helicopter landed at Kinshasa's main hospital, a government official who witnessed the event said, adding there were unconfirmed reports that the aircraft was carrying Kabila's son, Joseph Kabila, who had apparently been injured. The younger Kabila is the head of Congo's military.

Presidential aide Eddy Kapend went on national television shortly after the shooting ended to appeal for calm, but he made no mention of the incident.

The bleary-eyed Kapend ordered that all airports and borders be closed, appealing to the armed forces and civil society leaders to help maintain order.