At least three rebels were killed Tuesday in a firefight between government forces and rebels in a village headquartered in Nangade district in Cabo Delgado province, local sources told Lusa.
The firefight began around 6:00 am (minus an hour in Lisbon) when a group of rebels attempted to attack the village’s headquarters, a source in the local forces, ex-militants supporting government forces in operations to stop the rebels, explained to Luce. in northern Mozambique.
Government forces, backed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), responded and were able to shoot at least three of the group’s insurgents and neutralize another five who are now in custody, the source said.
Another Nangada-based source told Lusa that the rebel group had destroyed several houses, in what is described as the first attempt to directly attack a village headquartered in the area after security conditions improved and foreign troops entered. a year ago.
The province of Cabo Delgado, rich in natural gas, has been terrorized by armed rebels since 2017, with some of the attacks blamed on the Islamic State extremist group.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there are about 800,000 internally displaced people as a result of the conflict, and about 4,000 people have died, according to the ACLED Conflict Register project.
Since July 2021, the advance of government forces, supported by Rwanda, later joined by SADC, has restored areas of rebel presence, including Mocimboa da Praia, but their flight has led to new attacks in other areas used as a passage or shelter.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
