Mozambique Army Eliminates Senior Insurgent Leaders in Cabo Delgado

The Mozambican defense force has announced that the country’s army has successfully eliminated two high-ranking leaders of an insurgent group, including a vice commander.

The terrorist group, known as Al Sunna Wall Jammat and linked to the Islamic State, has been causing trouble in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado.

The statement from the Mozambique defense forces (FADM) mentioned that the insurgents ambushed security authorities and the defense force in a troubled district of Cabo Delgado.

The vehicle overturned and caught fire during the ambush, but the security forces managed to escape unharmed. In the clash that followed, the insurgent leaders Abu Kital and Ali Mahando were k!lled.

The insurgency began in 2017 when militants, later claimed to be affiliated with IS, attacked areas near the Tanzanian border.

The violence has led to the deaths of over 4,700 people, with civilians being the most affected. About a million people have been displaced from their homes.

Foreign troops from Rwanda and the SADC regional bloc have been supporting the Mozambican military since July 2021.

This help has resulted in the recapture of much of Cabo Delgado and a reduction in jihadist attacks in the area.

TotalEnergies, a company working on a major LNG project in the region, had paused its project due to security concerns.

Although Mozambique’s president indicated that conditions were improving for the project’s resumption, TotalEnergies has not yet confirmed restarting the project.