ISIS has reportedly beheaded 30 Christians in a spate of attacks across Mozambique, as violence from offshoots of the Islamic extremist group continues across Africa. The Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP), released a 20-image photoset this week, documenting its operatives executing civilians by beheading and close-range gunfire, MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) reported.
The group launched assaults in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, where they set fire to churches and homes in a brutal attack on Christian communities. ISMP claimed responsibility for the attacks, which happened during the last week of September, which saw as many as 100 homes and five churches burnt down. One resident told reporters that gunmen entered his neighborhood at night, “killing four and kidnapping four others, including a woman and her two daughters.”
The attacks come as Mozambique seeks to bolster its internal security with a renewed defence alliance with Rwanda
The two nations signed an agreement in August that will see Rwanda extend its military presence in Mozambique’s insurgent-hit Cabo Delgado province, one of the areas attacked by ISMP.
Around 1,000 Rwandan Defence Force soldiers and police have been deployed in Mozambique since 2021, helping to combat the Islamic State–linked insurgency that has upended the gas-rich province.
ISMP has been active in Mozambique for nearly a decade, and launched its first high-profile attack in 2017 on Mocimboa da Praia.
In 2019, the group made international headlines after a brutal attack in the town of Palma, an area with a burgeoning gas industry, left dozens dead and forced thousands more to flee.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns against all travel to the parts of Mozambique attacked by ISMP last month.
It states on its website: “There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets.
“The main threat is from IS-Mozambique (IS-M), a terrorist group with links to Daesh (formerly known as Islamic State) that is mainly active in Cabo Delgado Province, and has carried out attacks in neighbouring districts of Niassa and Nampula Provinces.
“IS-M militants have conducted violent attacks using explosives, machetes and firearms across Cabo Delgado, resulting in hundreds of deaths, including civilians and security personnel. They have also engaged in burning vehicles and homes, robberies, looting and threats.”