Mozambique: First Islamist Attacks Shock the Region

According to the Shabelle Media Network in Mogadishu, a group of about 30 men attacked three police stations in the small town of MocĂ­mboa da Praia in the northern-most province of Cabo Delgado, about 30 km from the Tanzania border, early on 5 October.

‘There was a prompt response from the police; two AK-47 rifles were seized,’ said Inacio Dina, spokesperson of the General Command of the Mozambican police at a press conference in Maputo. He said two police officers were shot dead, and two gang members were captured. According to other reports, 16 people died, including a community leader.

The same group, it seems, struck early on 21 October, clashing with government forces in the fishing village of Maluku, some 30 km from MocĂ­mboa da Praia. ‘These attacks prompted the villagers to flee and the village is currently deserted,’ a security industry source said.

Further clashes were reported by independent sources during the night of 22 October at a village called Columbe, about 16 km south of an installation of Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation which is exploring for oil and natural gas there. The company is evacuating its personnel, the sources say.

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