Three fishermen escape terrorist captivity in Mozambique
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Club of Mozambique
Three Mozambican fishermen escaped after their boat and 20 men were kidnapped in Mocímboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado province. They reunited with their families in Milamba, as Islamic State Mozambique intensifies attacks on civilians, according to local sources cited by Carta de Moçambique and ACLED.
Three of the 20 fishermen kidnapped by terrorists in Mocímboa da Praia district, northern Mozambique, escaped on Wednesday and rejoined their families. They were being held near the Messalo River after their boat was hijacked, according to local sources cited by Carta de Moçambique and reported by the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM).
Their escape came after a clash with the Mozambican navy, which killed at least three terrorists. The three fishermen returned to the Milamba neighbourhood, on the outskirts of Mocímboa da Praia, according to AIM.
The ACLED project, which records conflicts and their consequences, says Islamic State Mozambique is strengthening its control measures in the area and restricting commercial and humanitarian activities. In August and September, 11 attacks on civilian communities involved kidnappings; five ransom cases concerned amounts ranging from 1,500 to 70,000 meticais. These events extend the series of kidnappings already reported in Mocímboa da Praia, on 1 October.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that attacks in Litandacua, on the N380 road, and in Pangane displaced more than 700 people in August and September, according to AIM.
