First modification:
Through a message issued in its official media, the self-proclaimed Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks that since March 24 affect the town of Palma, in northern Mozambique. Amid fear, thousands of people have fled the city as the UN announced coordinated actions to care for the displaced.
The situation of violence in northern Mozambique continues to escalate. According to information issued by the jihadist group that calls itself the Islamic State of Central Africa, the rebels maintain control of the city of Palma after the attack on military barracks and government buildings located in the area.
“The soldiers of the caliphate took the strategic city of Palma,” the insurgent group said through a statement posted on its Telegram channels.
According to the AFP news agency, which cites one of the survivors of the event, the attack occurred after the arrival of a boat with food that is part of the humanitarian aid program. “They attacked the city and brought trucks to carry the food,” the source said.
On Sunday March 28, Omar Saranga, spokesman for the Mozambique Defense and Security Forces, confirmed the death of dozens of people, including some foreigners. However, the insurgents announced the death of 55 people, most of them members of the security forces.
“It has been one of the worst attacks we have suffered, there is still enormous confusion,” religious Ofelia Robledo, who is in the town of Pemba (400 kilometers south of Palma), told the Spanish newspaper ‘El País’.
In Pemba, with the passing of the hours the anguish grows around what is happening and the state of the inhabitants of Palma. There, dozens of people have lost contact with their families since the attack, although the Spanish newspaper, which cites some witnesses, points out that the displaced are crossing a wooded area, considering the road that connects the two towns to be unsafe.
Additionally, the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’ reported that the authorities had controlled a large part of the town of Palma and caused the departure of some insurgents. However, the Reuters news agency reported that the fighting continued on March 29, citing a source from security agencies.
Desolation, a word that reflects the feeling of Palma
Palma, located in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, has suffered episodes of violence since 2017 when the local jihadist group ‘Al Shabab’ began the attack on police stations and government facilities in the interior of the region.
However, after declaring loyalty to the self-proclaimed Islamic State, the group has intensified its violent actions, achieving control of several cities in northern Mozambique, including Mocimboa da Praia. According to UNHCR, the conflict has left some 670,000 displaced and around 2,000 dead.
For the moment, the authorities have not counted the number of people displaced by the recent attack. However, the United Nations (UN) reported that it has begun coordination to provide assistance to survivors
“We are deeply concerned about the still evolving situation in Palma, where the armed attacks began on March 24, which reportedly killed dozens of people,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The secretary general of the organization, Antonio Guterres, reported that he has been very attentive to the situation and that he is in contact with the country’s president, Filipe Nyusi.
The Total oil company, which operates in the area, sent around 1,300 people by boat to Pemba. However, at least 6,000 inhabitants of Palma arrived at their camp, located on the outskirts of the city, to take shelter.
“A significant number of civilians rescued from Palma are being transported to the Afungi site, where they receive humanitarian and logistical support,” Total said in a statement.
On March 29, John Godfrey, acting special envoy of the United States Department of State in the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State, said during a meeting with the press, that the attack “was in line with what was shown by the insurgent group in Mozambique “and added that the United States is” closely monitoring the events. ”
With Reuters and AFP
.
#Mozambique #Islamic #State #assumed #responsibility #attacks #north #country
source https://pledgetimes.com/mozambique-islamic-state-assumed-responsibility-for-attacks-in-the-north-of-the-country/
Disqus comments