Maputo — A group of Islamist terrorists last Sunday kidnapped a man in a surprise attack in the town of Mocímboa da Praia village, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado,.

According to sources cited by the independent newssheet "Carta de Moçambique', the kidnapping took place in Filipe Nyusi neighbourhood during the early hours of the morning.

"The kidnapping took place in a region with a strong presence of the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces (FDS). The incident is yet another example of armed men circulating in Mocímboa da Praia town', a source said.

According to other sources, the terrorists spoke local languages (Kimwani, Kiswahili and Shimakonde) "and threatened to return to kidnap their main target, an elderly member of the pro-government militia, known as the local force, who lives in the same residence where the man was kidnapped.'

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"They said that the old man, the person they wanted, was not there, so they promised to return', a source said.

In addition to the kidnapping, residents of Mocímboa da Praia also reported that terrorists have been circulating since last Thursday on Quifuque Island and its surroundings, where they seized various goods belonging to the residents, including a small motorboat with a capacity to carry more than ten people.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Islamist terrorism has forced, in recent months, the displacement of about 300,000 people in the northern Mozambican provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.

Since 2017, violent extremist attacks have been taking place in Cabo Delgado, where at least 6,200 people have been killed and over one million displaced. However, the violence has been tending to spread to other regions, especially in Nampula. Attacks against Memba district give a clear indication that the jihadists are moving southwards, into the coastal districts of Nampula.