The army shelled an insurgent base in Cabo Delgado on the night of 7-8 October, "which resulted in the annihilation of a considerable number of the wrongdoers," the Defence Ministry said in a statement issued today. The artillery shelling was in the Mbau region, between the Messalo and Muera rivers, in the Mocimboa da Praia district.

Insurgents have been attacking villages in northern Cabo Delgado, driving people off their land, burning entire villages and making the election campaign unfeasible. Many people fled their villages and polling stations - usually schools - have been destroyed.