Maputo — The military escort for vehicles using the N380 highway in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado was interrupted on Monday, on the stretch between Macomia and Oasse, because of a clash between the peasant militia known as "naparamas' and the islamist terrorists that have been plaguing Macomia district since 2017.

The clash, according to Tuesday's issue of the independent newsheet "Carta de Moçambique', took place at the Chai administrative post, an area that has come under repeated jihadist attack.

"No civilian vehicles left Macomia today', one source told the paper. "We have many vehicles forced to spend the night here, because there are clashes between the local forces and terrorists in Chai'.

According to another source, "there are many people who haven't travelled to Mocímboa da Praia today, because they say that the situation in Chai is not good, and the terrorists have tried to attack the local forces', he said.

Another local source said that on the road there were only cars belonging to the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces, who left to help the "naparamas' in Chai.

"Other cars left Mueda for Chiúre because they say terrorists have arrived there too', he said.

The paper added that the confrontation between the local forces and the terrorists began at 05.00 on Monday morning, when the terrorists tried to storm the naparamas' position. The clash lasted until around midday, but information on the results of the fighting is still scarce.