Luca Attanasio was reportedly killed during a visit to the eastern part of the country while traveling in a convoy of World Food Program (WFP) vehicles.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms with deep pain the death of Italian Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luca Attanasio, and a soldier of the Carabinieri corps in Goma today," the statement said.

The diplomat died in hospital from his wounds.

"The three dead were identified as Italian Ambassador to the DRC Luca Attanasio, an Italian embassy official and WFP driver," the UN agency said in a statement.

"The circumstances of this brutal attack are still unknown, and we will make every effort to clarify the incident," Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on his Facebook page.

The Italian-Kazakh Trade Association expresses condolences to the relatives of the victims.