Suspected jihadists have killed seven men and abducted four women in northern Mozambique in the latest violence to hit the Cabo Delgado region, local sources said Friday.
The bodies, which were cut into pieces, were left in Piqueue village, a local traditional leader told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“People were surprised while sleeping in the forest,” he said, indicating that the residents had fled the village for fear of being attacked.
The attackers also kidnapped four women, he said.
Mozambican police declined to comment, but a local army commander confirmed the attack.
“We urge people to stay in villages where they have protection from the police and the military,” he said.
Since October 2017, nearly 200 civilians, troops and police have died in a wave of violence in Cabo Delgado, a gas-rich northern region which borders Tanzania, with President Filipe Nyusi sending in troops to “” the insurgency.