Africa-Press – Mozambique. Local security forces in Macomia district, Cabo Delgado, have shot dead four people, presumed to be rebels, after a shootout that lasted for five hours, according to testimonies from residents.
The clash took place at dawn on Monday in the Nkoé area, 30 kilometres from the village of Nova Zambezia, Macomia district, on National Road 380.
This is the area where unknown persons on Friday night burned down 15 dwellings built with local materials.
“Today there was an exchange of fire and we are no longer afraid,” one local source said, adding: “Four terrorists have died.”
According to residents, four AK-47 type firearms were recovered at the scene.
One of those killed was a young man from the village of Nova Zambezia, who residents say was a spy.
“We killed him because we found out he was being used as a scout, and had killed many people in the bush,” one of the sources added.
Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas, but has been terrorised since October, 2017, by armed rebels, with some attacks being claimed by the extremist ‘Islamic State’ group.
The conflict has cost more than 3,100 lives, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and left more than 817,000 residents displaced, according to Mozambican authorities.
Since July, an offensive by government troops with support from Rwanda, later joined by a Southern African Development Community (SADC) force, has restored security, recovering several areas from rebel hands, including the town of Mocimboa da Praia, which had been occupied since August, 2020.
