Macomia: Terrorists fall into army ambush

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Macomia: Terrorists fall into army ambush

4:03 CAT | 05 Jun 2020

Some of the terrorists who attacked and briefly occupied the town of Macomia, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado on 28 May, fell into an ambush mounted by the defence and security forces at the Nova Zambezia village last Friday, according to a report in the independent newssheet “Mediafax”.

The group of terrorists had hijacked a pick-up truck, which they loaded with goods looted from Macomia. But as they entered Nova Zambezia, a contingent of the government forces was waiting for them.

The report claimed that “many” of the islamist bandits died in the ambush, but did not put a figure on their losses.

One of the “Mediafax” sources said “Few of them (the terrorists) escaped”.

After the ambush the Nova Zambezia villagers helped themselves to the loot abandoned by the terrorists.

But the following night, a group of terrorists returned to Nova Zambezia and, perhaps in revenge, murdered several of the villagers. Few details of this engagement are yet available.

There are 52 villages in Macomia district and, to date, the islamists have attacked 37 of them. Some of the villages have been attacked several times, and their former inhabitants have fled, seeking refuge in other districts, or in the provincial capital, Pemba.

The 28 May attack on Macomia town, coincided with raids on nearby villages and on the administrative post of Chai. Chai is famed for being the site of the first attack against Portuguese forces by guerrillas of the liberation movement, Frelimo, on 25 September 1964.

Chai residents fled into the bush to escape from the islamists, but began to return to their homes as from Tuesday. One source in the local administration told “Mediafax” that they discovered six lifeless bodies, all of whom had been shot.

The terrorists also burnt down several houses, and the Chai health centre. The raiders occupied Chai for four days.

Source: AIM