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Suspected jihadists have killed seven men and abducted four women in northern Mozambique during the latest violence in the Cabo Delgado region, local sources said Friday.
The bodies, which were cut into pieces, were left in the village of Piqueue, said a local traditional chief at AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"People were surprised while they were sleeping in the forest," he said, indicating that the residents had fled the village for fear of being attacked.
The attackers also abducted four women, he said.
Mozambican police refused to comment, but a local army commander confirmed the attack.
"We urge people to stay in the villages where they are protected by the police and the army," he said.
Since October 2017, nearly 200 civilians, soldiers and police have died in a wave of violence in Cabo Delgado, a gas-rich northern region bordering Tanzania. President Filipe Nyusi has sent troops to "neutralize" the Islamist threat.
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This week, several hundred soldiers from 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, Kenya and Madagascar, completed a training exercise off the northern coast of Mozambique.
An annual maritime exercise, "Cutlbad Express", aims to improve coordination against drug trafficking, human trafficking and illegal fishing that would fund extremists in East Africa and the United States. ;Indian Ocean.
Bryan Hunt, deputy chief at the US Embbady in Maputo, said that the United States was ready to help suppress the Islamists.
"We are available and would like to help Mozambique fight against insurgent groups," Hunt said this week.
"We already have several programs in the maritime field and we want to increase the level of cooperation between the two countries."
The violence in northern Mozambique has sparked the concern of US energy companies seeking to drill large offshore gas fields.
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