Maputo, 13 Feb (AIM) – Islamist terrorists have abducted a bus driver along National Road 380 (N380), 56 kilometers from the town of Meluco, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
Lately, the terrorists have been intercepting vehicles in some districts of Cabo Delgado.
The abduction, according to the Portuguese News Agency (Lusa), occurred on Friday afternoon, when the victim refused to stop after being intercepted by the terrorists.
According to one of the passengers, cited in Tuesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, the attackers shot out the tyres of the vehicle, forcing it to come to a standstill, and ordered all the passengers to leave, while the driver remained inside the bus. The fate of the driver is not clear.
Also on Friday, a driver from the Civil Identification Directorate, who was travelling from Meluco to the city of Pemba, found the community of Unguia completely abandoned, since the population had sought refuge in the bush.
On Sunday afternoon, near the village of Nangororo, also in Meluco district, terrorists stopped another bus, carrying almost 60 people, between Nampula province and Palma, and forced the occupants to hand over their belongings.
“Suddenly the terrorists, in large numbers and all armed, came out onto the road and stopped the bus. They forced the passengers to hand over money as a condition for the journey to continue. The passengers handed over the money and they let the journey continue”, a source said.
The terrorists are suspected of killing a 19-year-old girl, in Litamanda village, in the district of Macomia, a situation that caused panic among the residents, who fled to the neighboring community of Chai, which has a military position.
“They went into Litamanda because there are very few people living there. The young woman was found dead in the neighbourhood”, said a source close to the victim.
(AIM)
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