TheCable

Security forces in Mozambique say lions and crocodiles have attacked insurgents in the country.

According to the BBC, Bernardino Rafael, the country’s police commander, said this on Wednesday during a meeting with local residents in Quissanga district in the northern Cabo Delgado province.

He said troops captured four insurgents involved in recruiting and radicalising people while 16 others were killed.

He said some of the jihadists died from gunshot wounds during a duel with the authorities, while others were attacked by animals, including lions and crocodiles.

“They are dying from gunshot wounds. Many of them [were] wounded by our weapons. But even animals also contribute to the death of the Islamist insurgents,” Rafael was quoted as saying.

He said the dead jihadists are being buried under the supervision of the authorities.

According to the EU, recent terror activities in Mozambique date back to 2017, and has resulted in over 4,000 deaths with more than 900,000 persons displaced.

“This insurgency is inspired and driven by ISIS, while local grievances and domestic root causes also play a significant role,” Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy/vice-president of the European Commission, had said recently.

“Foreign fighters are involved and their transit to Cabo Delgado poses risks to neighbouring countries. Due to this instability, the region has become a hotspot of organised crime (heroin, wildlife, wood and gemstone trafficking for instance) in Mozambique and the entire Southern African region.”