Armed insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State in Mozambique have claimed responsibility for an increase in attacks this month, targeting both Mozambican and Rwandan troops, with a higher frequency compared to previous periods.
Through their social media channels, the militants this week claimed an assault on a Mozambican military base in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, stating that they killed more than 10 government soldiers during the attack.
Although the group is known for exaggerating its battlefield claims for propaganda purposes, as noted by military experts, sources on the ground confirmed the severity of the recent clashes.
According to AFP, a Mozambican soldier who requested anonymity said the Tuesday attack on the Macomia military base in Cabo Delgado was intense, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
“There was heavy fighting, and more than 10 insurgents were also killed,” the soldier reported.
This attack followed another deadly incident in Muidumbe, also in Cabo Delgado, where 17 government soldiers were reportedly killed, according to AFP.
Earlier this month, the militants claimed responsibility for several other attacks, including an ambush in Niassa National Park, where they allegedly killed two park rangers and three Rwandan soldiers, AFP reported.
Local Mozambican media outlets indicate that at least 30 government soldiers have been killed in insurgent attacks so far this month, marking a notable escalation in violence.
The resurgence of attacks comes just weeks after Total Energies, a French energy company, announced plans to resume offshore gas extraction and processing operations in the region.
These renewed attacks follow a period in which joint Mozambican and Rwandan forces had largely pushed back insurgents and restored relative calm across many parts of Cabo Delgado.
However, a new report from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) this week indicates that violence in previously stable areas has displaced more than 20,000 people in recent weeks.
Shortly after the ambush that killed Rwandan troops, General Júlio dos Santos Jane, Mozambique’s newly appointed army chief, visited the insurgency-hit area of Muenda in Cabo Delgado. He met with the commander of the Rwandan forces deployed in the region to discuss new strategies to strengthen counterterrorism efforts, according to the Rwandan military.
Rwanda deployed troops to Mozambique in July 2021, following a request from Maputo, to help combat the insurgency that had displaced over 1.3 million people since the conflict began in 2017, according to the United Nations. An estimated 6,000 people have been killed, and Total Energies was forced to suspend its operations in Afungi, a major gas hub.
