16 people killed in an attack on the insurgency in Mozambique: local sources

Islamists suspected in northern Mozambique killed 16 people Tuesday in their deadliest attack since the launch of an insurgency in the remote region in 2017, local sources told AFP on Friday.

Islamist fighters have targeted isolated communities in the Muslim-rich Cabo Delgado region, rich in natural gas, since October 2017, killing more than 200 people and forcing thousands of people out of their homes.

A Mitsubishi truck was ambushed while carrying pbadengers and cargo on a dirt road in the coastal district of Macomia, sources said.

Confirmation of deaths only appeared on Friday.

The attackers threw homemade explosives into the truck and opened fire.

"Eight people were killed in the vehicle and seven others were found dead at the scene, a sign that they tried to run away," said a local teacher, whose colleague was killed.

Another victim died one day after the attack. This was the first case of insurgents using homemade explosives.

Among the dead were three soldiers deployed in the truck to protect him from attack, said a community official to AFP.

"They used homemade bombs and they did not give the army time to react.The group of attackers was made up of at least seven men, according to one survivor," he said. did he declare.

A dozen wounded were transported to Pemba hospital by helicopter.

A month of bloodshed

The government and the army do not comment on the insurgency attacks.

An AFP file recorded 14 attacks in total in May, killing more than 40 people.

Insurgents routinely attack villages, kill residents and burn down homes despite the growing presence of police and army in the area.

But the group's identity and motives remain unclear.

"The country is a victim and we all need to understand the real reasons," said President Filipe Nyusi last week in an interview with the private newspaper Cbad du Mocambique.

"The defense and security forces are devoting all their resources to this, so that we can learn the motivation (insurgents) and know who these people are".

The attacks often forced the temporary closure of the polling offices before the October elections, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a civil action group based in Maputo.

Greenhouse gas deposits off Cabo Delgado add an extra dimension to the insurgency, with international exploration companies being caught up in the violence.

Hurricane Kenneth hit the province last month, killing 45 people and affecting 250,000 people.