Jihadists kill and kidnap in new Mozambique attacks
Islamic insurgents killed three people and kidnapped 11
children in new attacks in northern Mozambique Friday, including on Palma, a
key town in a major international gas hub, locals said.
TotalEnergies was expected to resume this year a massive LNG project near Palma that was halted in early 2021 after a militant strike on the town killed more than 800 people.
Around 15 insurgents entered Palma, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border with Tanzania, soon after midnight, a local military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"They entered at least four houses and kidnapped seven girls and killed one person. Another four boys were kidnapped while heading to their homes," they said.
Conflict monitor Acled said it had information that a man was killed and a woman kidnapped.
ALSO READ: Thousands fleeing Mozambique violence: UN
The Islamic State group said in a statement it had killed one person.
The Mozambique military, which is supported by Rwandan forces in battling an Islamist insurgency that started in Palma's Cabo Delgado province in 2017, rarely comments on attacks.
Militants also struck the town of Nangade, about 100 kilometres west of Palma, in the early hours of the morning, a villager told AFP anonymously.
"They killed two people and burned a church and some houses. They invaded houses and stalls, stealing goods. They did not stay for long," the person said.
Attacks by Islamic State-linked jihadists have picked up in Cabo Delgado and other northern provinces in recent months, causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and aid groups to close, according to the United Nations.
Cabo Delgado is one of the poorest parts of Mozambique and efforts to exploit its rich gas fields have drawn some of Africa's biggest investments, including a $20-billion project from TotalEnergies, the French energy giant.
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