Attacks in Cabo Delgado: Insurgents continue to sow terror – Carta

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Attacks in Cabo Delgado: Insurgents continue to sow terror – Carta

3:20 CAT | 09 Dec 2019

File photo: Lusa

The northern districts of Cabo Delgado province are still “in flames”, with the residents of villages and towns in Macomia, Mocimboa da Praia, Palma, Nangade and Muidumbe districts living in terror as a result of the killing and destruction of property, ‘Carta de Moçambique’ reports today.

Between December 3rd and 7th, Ingoane and Ilala villages in Macomia district and Marere in Mocímboa da Praia were again attacked by the insurgents.

The Marere village at the Mbau Administrative Post was “visited” last Friday, December 6. According to sources, a group of men armed with guns and machetes entered the village at dawn, killing two civilians and attacking a military position, where they stole weapons and ammunition. More than 10 members of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) are reported to have been killed.

Carta’s source says that the attack occurred at about 3:00 a.m., and, in addition to having killed some victims and abducted some women, the group returned later to destroy the assets of the population. The source could not confirm the number of deaths or abductions.

The attack was once again claimed by the Islamic State through its Al Naba page on the same day (Friday), the radical Islamist group claiming to have killed 16 military personnel and captured one.

At 8:00 p.m. on the same day (6/12) insurgents attacked Ingoane village, but without causing any casualties, the village having been deserted prior to their arrival. Some of the houses still standing and others that were being rebuilt are reported to have been burned down.

Rappel 1ère ops de l’#EI revendiquée au #Mozambique sous « province Afrique centrale » remonte à juin/bcp ont mis en doute la réalité de cette présence dans le pays, malgré le fait que le cheminement est parallèle à celui de l’#RDC voisine ou du #Nigéria https://t.co/2Y4ftbyQzi https://t.co/CI4IEWrLhN

— Wassim Nasr (@SimNasr) December 8, 2019

On the previous day (5/12), four young people from the village of Ilala, Quiterajo administrative post, Macomia district, were shot in the legs by five armed men who were dressed in FDS uniforms.

‘Carta’ learned from witnesses that the incident occurred at around 12:00 p.m. near Pequeue village, when the group of young fishermen were approached by five men in uniform who claimed to be members of the military. Their suspicions aroused by the location of the meeting and their prior knowledge of the insurgents’ modus operandi, the youngsters fled, but were hit in the legs by shots from a firearm.

The source was unable to tell ‘Carta’ how was it as possible for the victims to have survived after being “immobilised” in this way, but says they were taken to an FDS unit located in Pequeue village before being evacuated to Mucojo Health Centre in the same district (Macomia).

Again, at 3:00 p.m. on December 3, there was another attack in the village of Matapata, about 25 km from the district village headquarters of Palma on the road between Mocímboa da Praia and Palma.

There, the insurgents attacked three vehicles and killed two people, with an unknown number of injured being evacuated to Palma District Hospital. Only one of those seriously injured is known to be a member of the FDS.

‘Carta’ sources say that among the injured is a British employee of G4S, which provides services to multinationals operating in the Rovuma Basin area.

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