Africa-Press – Mozambique. The district headquarters town of Macomia in Cabo Delgado province has been under attack by a group of insurgents since early this morning (10-05), public sources told Lusa today.
Shooting at the district headquarters began around 4:00 a.m., with the rebels appearing in the centre of the town via the Mucojo road, sources reported.
“We are not doing well. The terrorists attacked after arriving at dawn, and I don’t know for sure whether anyone has died or not,” a source told Lusa from a hideout in Macomia.
The same sources indicated that the entire district headquarters town of Macomia has been overrun by more than a hundred insurgents.
“I’m saying that shooting is happening everywhere. The terrorists have occupied the entire town and haven’t left yet. We don’t know if this time they want to occupy [the town] or not,” the source reported.
Some stores selling basic necessities and vehicles used to transport passengers, goods and for commerce were abandoned by their owners.
“No one took anything – everything is abandoned. This time it was too much, because we were just starting over again,” a clothing merchant operating in the centre of Macomia told Lusa.
The town of Macomia is located on National Road 1 (N1), which connects through to northern districts such as Muidumbe, Nangade, Mueda, Mocimboa da Praia and Palma. The attack therefore interrupts land communication to these five districts.
The province has been facing an armed rebellion since October 2017 with attacks claimed by movements associated with the extremist group Islamic State.
After several months of relative calm, since the beginning of the year new movements and attacks by rebels have once again caused thousands of displacements, deaths and destruction of homes and public buildings.
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