Maputo — The local militia (usually referred to as "local forces') on Thursday rescued an unspecified number of children who had been abducted by Islamist terrorists while they were in class at Pulo primary school, in Metuge district, in the northern Mozambican Province of Cabo Delgado.

According to Friday's issue of the independent newssheet "Carta de Moçambique', citing local sources, "they [the terrorists] took the children and put them all in the room and closed the door and left at around 19.00. It seems that their intention was for them not to get lost while the terrorists made their getaway.'

According to other sources, the local force, rescued the children after the population fled on Wednesday due to the presence of the terrorists.

"The two forces were supposed to go: the Mozambican defense and security forces (FDS) and the local force. But members of the FDS refused to fight, allegedly because they haven't had their wages for three months', a source said, adding that "the local force went alone. There are reports of deaths, although the numbers are so far unknown.'

Last Friday, the same local force killed two Islamist terrorists near the Megaruma River, which separates the districts of Chiúre and Ancuabe.

Cabo Delgado is rich in natural gas and many other minerals, but has been plagued by terrorist attacks since 2017 perpetrated by jihadist groups causing the deaths of over 3,000 people, most of them civilians.