Mass grave with militants 'found in Mozambique'

By Jose Tembe

A mass grave with the bodies of Islamist militants has been discovered by Mozambican security forces in the northern Cabo Delgado province during recent operations against insurgents, a defence ministry press release says.

It is assumed that the bodies belong to insurgents killed by government forces in March, when the group first invaded Mocimboa from the beach.

The government statement says that in addition to the discovery of the mass grave, soldiers killed six militants and recovered weapons, including a firearm, ammunition and medicines.

According to photographs and videos published by the defence ministry, the insurgents had been dressed in military uniforms.

The ministry’s press release says the military operations are aimed at attacking, assaulting and ultimately dismantling the militants' base.

A militant group known locally as al-Shabab has spent the past two years operating in the shadows, attacking remote villages across the province, ambushing army patrols on isolated roads, instilling terror in many rural communities, forcing perhaps 200,000 people to flee from their homes.

Mozambique has heightened operations in the northern region following an increasing number of attacks, some of which the Islamic State group has said it is behind.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: DW