Pemba, Mozambique, June 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Residents of Nnaua, in Cabo Delgado province, reported on Friday that the village had been attacked by alleged extremists, causing the population to flee, spreading panic in the region.
Local sources told Lusa that the attack began on Sunday and that since then, the population has fled to safer areas.
“The terrorists entered our village of Nnaua and caused many people to flee,” reported a source, speaking from Ancuabe, the headquarters of one of the districts most targeted by attacks from these insurgent groups in recent weeks.
The attack on the village of Nnaua caused residents to flee to Ancuabe and other parts of Cabo Delgado province.
“People are fleeing out of fear,” said the source, unaware of any casualties following the attack, but confirming that it had caused panic in the region.
The gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has been the target of extremist attacks for eight years, with the first attack recorded on 5 October 2017 in the district of Mocímboa da Praia.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data organisation (ACLED)recorded eight violent incidents in the last two weeks of May in Cabo Delgado province, six involving Islamic State extremists, which left eight people dead, bringing the death toll since 2017 to 6,624, as reported this week by Lusa.
According to the latest report from ACLED, covering data from 18 to 31 May, of the 2,397 violent incidents recorded since October 2017, when the armed insurgency began in Cabo Delgado, 2,214 involved elements associated with Islamic State Mozambique (EIM).
The report covering this two-week period states that, on 25 May, EIM details managed to “fire mortars at a Mozambican military position on the outskirts of Macomia, demonstrating the fragility of security in the town”, in the centre of Cabo Delgado.
“At least three other violent incidents occurred in the town, with some residents blaming the security forces, who, in turn, blame EIM. To the south, EIM militants remain in Chiúre, although their motivation for being there remains unclear,” the report states.
The ACLED assessment added that, on the coast, during this same period, there are reports that “the insurgents have hijacked at least 12 vessels in the waters off Mocímboa da Praia and Macomia”.
“Illustrating the Mozambican Navy’s inability to ensure that the safety of vessel owners and operators is guaranteed,” it further notes.
Among other details, it said that in the last two weeks, the EIM “has been targeting Mozambican boat owners” and that, on the night of 20 May, fighters from the group, in seven vessels, “surrounded a group of five fishing boats off Pangane, in the district of Macomia”.
Following negotiations with the boat owners, a ransom of 60,000 meticais ($808) was paid for two boats, and the kidnappers seized the remaining three, along with their equipment. The boats were likely taken north to the Messalo River, ACLED reports.
RYCE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
