Death toll could be higher because “good part of the population have been kidnapped” – military | Lusa

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Death toll could be higher because “good part of the population have been kidnapped” – military | Lusa

7:28 CAT | 13 Apr 2021

File photo: Lusa

The death toll from the attack on Palma in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, is still undetermined because “a good part of the population were kidnapped”, and others have been killed but may not yet have been found, a military source has said.

“We have information that many members of the public were kidnapped and along the way, in their retreat, others were killed, and others are still outside [Palma]. This week, unfortunately, we still have this challenge. We most urgently want to clarify this situation, but it will take time, given the way in which it unfolded,” spokesman for the Teatro Operacional Norte, Chongo Vidigal, said after a visit to Palma.

Brigadier Vidigal added that, to date, 35 insurgents have died since the beginning of operations to regain the town after the March 24 attack.

Number may be higher.

“We believe that the number is higher [than the current one], because they have a tactic. The first thing they do, when other insurgents are killed , is to quickly pick up the victims [and move them] to the rear. If they don’t succeed at that moment, they even choose to cut off the head and leave the body, probably so the insurgent is not recognised,” Brigadier Vidigal explained.

Regarding the number of soldiers who died during the fighting, he admitted that, “of course, there are casualties, but they were very small”.

During a visit to Palma, military personnel described the day that the retaking of Palma began, showing several abandoned buildings along the road into the town where the jihadists tried to ambush the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces (FDS).

The military deployed in Palma also explained that the jihadists had retreated, warning that they had managed to mix in amongst the general population, given that many [taking part in the Palma attack] were identified as inhabitants of Palma or Quitunda.

The violence unleashed more than three years ago in the province of Cabo Delgado escalated still further two weeks ago, when armed groups first attacked the village of Palma, about six kilometres from the multimillion-dollar natural gas projects.

The attacks caused dozens of deaths and forced thousands of Palma residents to flee, aggravating a humanitarian crisis that has, according to the United Nations, affected about 700,000 people in the province since the beginning of the conflict.

The Islamic State terrorist movement claimed control of the village of Palma on the border with Tanzania on Monday, but the FDS have completely retaken the village, a spokesman for the Northern Operational Theatre announced on Sunday, a claim reiterated on Wednesday by the Mozambican president.

Several countries have offered military Maputo support on the ground to combat the insurgents, but this has not happened yet, although there are reports that security companies and mercenaries are active in the area.

Source: Lusa