Clashes between jihadists and government forces broke out on Wednesday in Palma, northern Mozambique, near a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas plant, sources close to the army and security forces told AFP.
“Insurgents attempted to attack a government position in Patakua, near a Mozambican LNG plant in Afungi, but were repulsed by civilian air power,” said a source close to the security services.
An army air force helicopter tried to transport troops from its base in Patakua, 5km from Afungi, but encountered technical problems and was forced to make an emergency landing, an army source said.
The clashes erupted on the same day that the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (KAMA), at an emergency meeting in Maputo, announced that they had reached an agreement on the forthcoming deployment of troops to Mozambique to contribute to the fight against jihadists. organizations that have been sowing terror in the northeastern part of the country for more than three years.
On March 24, a large-scale surprise attack in Palma, a city with a strategic port, killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands more. It was committed by jihadists who swear allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).
The attack disrupted France Total’s work to exploit an estimated 16.8 billion euros worth of gas in the region.
It has escalated the conflict that has forced some 800,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations, and has claimed the lives of more than 2,900 others, according to the non-governmental organization ACLED, which regularly monitors armed conflict.
This week, a new series of raids was organized in the area.
“Palma has been under attack since June 21,” said a source close to the army in the field in the city, without elaborating.
