A Police car and police uniforms were captured by insurgents, police commander Bernadino Rafael admitted Wednesday (18 Dec). A photo circulating on social media shows an insurgents in a Mozambican police uniform with an Islamic State flag standing on the bonnet of what is obviously a Mozambican police car. This picture and photos of another captured car and and captured weapons appear on a French Twitter account of journalist Wassim Nasr of France 24, posted 8 Dec: https://twitter.com/SimNasr/status/1203681268434685954?s=20
At least 35 people have been killed in a series of attacks so far this month. On 30 November Nacutuco, Maomia was attacked again, and four local people killed (one beheaded, one burnt alive, two shot). Security forces had opened a base there but later retreated to Mucojo,
On 1 and 2 December in fighting in Olumbi, Palma district, 12 insurgents were killed and 4 captured. One civilian and one soldier were also killed.
On 4 December three vehicles on the road from Mocimboa da Praia to Palma were attacked 25 km south of Palma. Two people were killed and several injured, including a British citizen working for private security company G4S.
On 5 December four fishermen in Itala, Maomia, were shot in the legs by assailants in government uniforms, but not killed.
The captured car appears to have been taken during a raid on Marare, Mbau, Mocimboa da Praia district on Friday 6 December. The Twitter post refers to the village as Malali. In the raid, apparently 10 soldiers and police were killed and weapons were taken.
On 12 December there were attacks on Litapata and Malangonha villages in Muidumbe, with three dead and goods and houses burned. (AIM, Carta da Mocambique, O Pais 5, 9, 17, 19 December).mozamb
Source: Mozambique News Reports And Clippings