Mozambique: Islamic State claims responsibility for recent Cabo Delgado attacks

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Islamic State claims responsibility for recent Cabo Delgado attacks

2:11 CAT | 14 Feb 2024

File photo: Lusa

The Islamic State on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Macomia, in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, which killed at least 20 people, one of the most violent in several months.

Through propaganda channels, the terrorist group documented the attack with images of a position of the Mozambican armed forces, carrying various weapons, and also claimed another attack in Chiúre.

Lusa was unable to verify the authenticity of this claim on the ground, and the Mozambican authorities do not comment on ongoing military operations in Cabo Delgado.

However, the district administrator of Macomia, Tomás Badae, confirmed on Monday that insurgent groups operating in Cabo Delgado attacked a Defence and Security Forces (FDS) position in the district.

The attack took place between Friday night and Saturday morning, between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. (9 p.m. and 1 a.m. in Lisbon), at the Mucojo administrative post, 45 kilometres from the district headquarters of Macomia: “They did take the position and assaulted it, but we don’t have any more information on whether they are still there or have already left.”

Since the attack, communication with Mucojo has been interrupted.

Reports from local residents have also revealed several casualties among the Mozambican military but without confirmation from the authorities or a public claim by the terrorist group so far.

On Tuesday, the attack, also now claimed by Islamic State, was confirmed in the Chiúre district, with the destruction of several infrastructures and churches.

The attack began at around 5 p.m. (3 p.m. Lisbon time) on Monday and lasted until almost midnight. The target was the headquarters of the Mazeze administrative post in the Chiúre district, where the rebels set fire to the hospital, the administrative post office and the residence of the head of the administrative post, said the Chiúre district administrator.

“The infrastructure is basically destroyed,” said Oliveira Amimo.

As well as burning public infrastructure, the source continued, the rebels destroyed the chapel belonging to the Catholic Church.

“The private infrastructure, the priests’ chapel, was also destroyed, and at the moment, the enemy is still in the bush,” he added.

Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State (IS) for six years, which has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects.

After a period of relative stability, in recent weeks, new attacks and movements have been recorded in Cabo Delgado, although locally, the authorities suspect that the movement is linked to persecution imposed by the Defence and Security Forces in the districts of Macomia, Quissanga and Muidumbe, among the most affected.

The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and caused around 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Source: Lusa