Mozambique: Local forces killed 18 terrorists in attack on Magaia village – Muidumbe Administrator

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Mozambique: Local forces killed 18 terrorists in attack on Magaia village – Muidumbe Administrator

11:50 CAT | 16 Jun 2025

File photo: AIM

At least 18 alleged terrorists were killed by local forces in the district of Muidumbe, in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, in an attack on a local village, an official source said on Saturday.

“In the attack that took place on 7 June, 2025, in the village of Magaia, their incursions were met with a setback, as they received a very strong response from the local forces, which culminated in the killing of 18 members of that group,” said Muidumbe administrator, João Bosco.

Bosco said that order has now been restored in that district, but expressed concern about an alleged recruitment of young people from districts in Nampula to join the ranks of the alleged terrorists.

“At the moment, the district is experiencing a calm and peaceful environment, and the population is carrying out their activities normally,” said João Bosco.

On June 7, Lusa had reported that a group of alleged rebels kidnapped nine peasants in the village of Magaia, in the lower area of the Muidumbe district, in Cabo Delgado province.

The so-called local force is mainly composed of former guerrillas from the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), which led the war against the Portuguese colonial regime (1964-1974) and who voluntarily took up arms again to fight the rebel groups that have been carrying out attacks in the province of Cabo Delgado since October, 2017.

The local force has been an important ally in operations to stop the armed insurgency in northern Mozambique, with the advantage of being made up of former local guerrillas who are familiar with the geography of the region where the conflict is taking place.

Since October 2017, the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed rebellion with attacks claimed by movements associated with the extremist Islamic State group, which have led to the displacement of more than a million people.

In 2024 alone, at least 349 people died in attacks by Islamic extremist groups in the province, an increase of 36% compared to the previous year, according to data recently released by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, an academic institution of the US Department of Defense that analyses conflicts in Africa.

Around two weeks ago, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on a Mozambican army camp in Macomia, saying that it caused the death of at least 10 soldiers, information not confirmed by the Mozambican authorities.

READ: Mozambique: Islamic State claims responsibility for alleged deadly attack on military camp – Lusa

In information posted on its propaganda channels, the Islamic State added that the military camp was destroyed in this alleged attack, the second, the group claims, in less than a month, after another of its kind in Muidumbe, which it claims caused 11 deaths in the Mozambican army.

These attacks, although on a smaller scale, have been increasing in recent months, coinciding with the announced intention of the oil company TotalEnergies to resume the megaproject for the production of Liquefied Natural Gas in Cabo Delgado, valued at US$20 billion (€17.7 billion).

In April, attacks by these groups were also recorded on a reserve in the neighbouring province of Niassa, resulting in at least two deaths.

In May, a Russian oceanographic vessel was the target of an armed attack at sea by unknown perpetrators, in an area of Cabo Delgado that is usually targeted by extremists’ attacks on local fishermen.

READ: Mozambique: Government investigates attack on Russian oceanographic vessel off Cabo Delgaado

Source: Lusa