Insurgents beheaded two men working in the fields on Wednesday outside the village of Muaja, in the district of Ancuabe, less than 10km from the border with Montepuez.
Approximately ten insurgents, two of whom were armed with guns and the others with machetes, accosted the two men while they were working in the fields, a local source told Zitamar. The men were beheaded and their severed heads were given to the wife of one of them, who was also in the fields at the time. She was then told to take the heads to the village and warn the community that the insurgents were nearby.
The attack sparked panic and the village was evacuated. Another local source reported many displaced people arriving in Montepuez town.
According to online news service Pinnacle News, there was not enough transportation to take people away from Muaja and many were left with no choice but to sleep in the forests. The village chief and the security forces are currently trying to locate the dead bodies.
Much of Cabo Delgado’s mining industry is based in Montepuez, extracting rubies, graphite, gold and other minerals. Montepuez Ruby Mining operates one of the largest ruby mines in the world, just 20km from the attack at Muaja.
