Africa-Press – Mozambique. An attack carried out by masked gunmen has killed two people and torched several houses in Chitoio, Macomia, in Cabo Delgado, residents told Lusa.
A source from local security forces said the act happened during the early hours of Monday morning and residents suspect it was perpetrated by members of the insurgent groups that have been attacking the region and who have been fleeing the ongoing military offensive since July.
“We were preparing for a traditional ceremony, which involves taking children into the bush, when we heard firing nearby and suddenly masked men arrived and surrounded the village. They started shooting and the shooting caused the death of two people”.
Besides the two deaths, two children are reported missing.
Another resident in the area told Lusa that afterwards, residents again abandoned the village, hiding in the bush, at a time when about half were already rebuilding their houses.
“It’s really sad, because many people were already returning, but with the attack they left again,” he said.
The contingent of residents protecting the village has been trying to safeguard people and property but complains about the lack of reinforcements.
“We can do nothing, because they are many and equipped. We have already made [the situation] known to our chiefs in Macomia, but there is still no response,” concluded a source from the local force.
Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas, but terrorised since October 2017 by armed rebels with some attacks being claimed by the Islamic State group.
The conflict has led to more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.
Since July, an offensive by government troops with support from Rwanda, later joined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), allowed for an increase in security, recovering several areas where there was rebel presence, including the town of Mocimboa da Praia, which had been occupied since August 2020.
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