Four men were beheaded by suspected jihadists in northern Mozambique , a week after President Filipe Nyusi visited the area and pledged a “ ruthless ” campaign against the shadowy group .
The strike happened on Saturday in Macanga , about 20 kilometres (12 miles ) from the town of Palma and near the Tanzanian border , targeting men working in farms .
“ Four men were killed and decapitated. One who managed to flee was shot and is under treatment . Five houses were burned . This was around 7 pm Saturday , ” a local resident told AFP by phone .
The attackers are believed to have come from Tanzania.
“ We are investigating this information , ” police spokesman Inacio Dina told reporters Tuesday in the capital Maputo .
“ The attack was in a non -residential area . Our force is concentrated in the villages and the attack took place in farms, ” the commander of a police unit in Palma told AFP .
“ We advise people not to circulate outside the radius protected by the security forces but because people have their crops, they insist on going out . Our forces are more in the villages to ensure the safety of homes, schools , hospitals , ” he said , speaking on condition of anonymity .
On a visit to Palma last month , one of the districts most devastated by jihadist attacks , Nyusi vowed that security forces would be “firm and ruthless ” in pursuing a group blamed for more than 30 deaths .
Vast reserves of natural gas were recently discovered off the region ’ s coast but the violence has thrown the viability of exploiting the reserves into doubt .
There have been more than 10 attacks on villages in northeast Mozambique since October , featuring beheadings and arson .
Thousands of soldiers and police have been deployed to Cabo Delgado to confront the wave of attacks but the violence has continued unabated .
Since the first attack in October there have been reports of hundreds of arrests — as well as extra - judicial killings .
(AFP )
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