The attackers encountered little resistance, as there were no armed forces soldiers in the city, according to witnesses, quoted by the AIM news agency.

Previously, the extremists attacked the region of Shiure, in the same province, and damaged components of its infrastructure, besides acting against the villages of Masese and Nekusa, where they destroyed a Catholic chapel, according to the Club of Mozambique portal.

The situation contrasts with the announcement made last December by the head of the armed forces, Major General Tiagu Nampele, that security in Cabo Delgado was 90 percent guaranteed, so that investors could return to that region.

Last Monday, the Mozambican government confirmed the death of 25 soldiers in the northern town of Mucojo, as a result of an attack by a radical Islamic group.

A source from the Macomia district administration said the extremists broke into a military post.

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