Dozens of insurgents were killed by a joint force from Mozambique and Rwanda last month in Mbau, Mocímboa da Praia district, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi told the press.
Without going into details, Nyusi added that the joint fighting force had detained various pieces of insurgent equipment during the battle.
Analysts counted at least 14 bodies of armed men slaughtered by the joint forces. A local source said he counted more than 20 bodies and that others were scattered in the woods. There were also wounded and detainees, he said.
The battle began after a surprise insurgent attack on the village of Mbau at around 4 a.m., a local source told Atlas News. Some residents fled into the woods in search of safety, while others remained in their homes.
The joint force deployed in Mbau responded immediately to the attack while waiting for reinforcements from the headquarters of Mocimboa da Praia, according to a military source based in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado. Details are scarce, but there were many casualties and wounded on the side of the insurgents, the source said.
The joint force has yet to comment on the attack.
Mbau once housed what was considered the insurgents’ headquarters, before it was decommissioned by Rwandan forces in 2021. It is unclear whether the insurgents intended to retake the base or not.
Before the attack, at least three insurgents were seen on Monday in a village called Nova Família, which is located between the districts of Mocímboa da Praia and Nangade. They were chased down and shot on Tuesday by the veteran militia called Força Local.
Mozambique recently received the reinforcement of 2,000 Rwandan troops to join the approximately 2,500 already in Cabo Delgado. The new contingent is expected to fill the gaps left by the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).
Some of the reinforcements arrived in Macomia, an important town attacked and looted by the insurgents on May 10, in what was interpreted as the result of Samim’s departure from the area. With the arrival of Rwandan troops, greater security is expected in the town.