Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Maputo — The Mozambican defence and security forces claim they killed more than 150 terrorists in operations between 21 and 23 June, in the Afungi peninsula, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, according to a report on Radio Mozambique.

The interim commander of the Afungi Special Theatre of Operations, Col. Francisco Assane, said that in the same operations, the defence forces captured 39 people who are believed to be part of the terrorist group.

They were taken prisoner “in combat, when we were exchanging fire with the enemy. The enemy was resisting, and was attacking our positions in Mondlane and Palma”.

Assane also said that the terrorists are now using women to carry their weaponry. One of these women, captured in Palma district, and referred to only as Anika, said she had been ordered to spy on the movements of the defence forces, and report back to local terrorist commanders.

She claimed she worked for the terrorists because she had received death threats, She has a scar on her chest, which she claimed resulted from a knife wound inflicted by a terrorist when she said she intended to go to the authorities.

“They told me, take this money and go – don’t tell the soldiers anything. If you tell them anything, we shall kill you”, said Anika. When she was reluctant to take the money, “they asked me, do you want to die of hunger? Do what we tell you! Since I am poor and I was afraid, I accepted”.