Two Britons rescued as insurgents lay siege to Mozambique town
Saturday 27 March 2021 17:55, UK
Two Britons have been rescued amid an attack on a town in Mozambique by suspected Islamist insurgents, Sky News understands.
Dozens have been trapped inside a hotel in the town of Palma, which has been under attack by militants since Wednesday.
At least one person was killed when a convoy of fleeing civilians was ambushed by insurgents, according to security and diplomatic sources who spoke to Reuters.
Two Britons, an Irish national and a New Zealand national have been saved amid an ongoing search and rescue operation in and around Palma, according to a Sky source.
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A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Our High Commission in Maputo is in direct contact with authorities in Cabo Delgado to urgently seek further information on these reports."
Escalating violence in Mozambique has left thousands dead and many more have forced from their homes in a growing security and humanitarian crisis.
The domestic Islamist group, Ansar al Sunna, has been active since 2017 and is alleged to be affiliated with Islamic State.
According to the Mozambique government, security forces are attempting to restore order in Palma, which is adjacent to gas projects worth £43bn.
Almost 200 people were sheltering inside the Amarula Palma hotel as of Friday, according to a count Reuters established through three diplomats and one of the organisations with people inside.
A diplomatic source from Spain told the news agency that a Spanish resident and other foreigners have locked themselves within a protected room in the hotel.
Rescue efforts had been under way before the ambush, according to Lional Dyck, the head of Dyck Advisory Group, a South African private security company that works with the Mozambique government.
The convoy was comprised of people in vehicles attempting to escape the besieged hotel but they were ambushed just outside of it, according to Mr Dyck and other sources.
The South African security professional said his helicopters had managed to evacuate more than 20 people on Saturday.
Reuters reported that it was not immediately clear how many people, if any, remained in the hotel and how many were missing.
Ansar al Sunna's years-long insurgency is growing in brutality, according to experts, with mass executions taking place in the municipalities it occupies in running battles with the government's security forces.
In a statement released on Saturday, the South African government "noted with concern the recent attacks in Palma, northern Mozambique, against foreign nationals" and confirmed that South Africans were also affected by the attacks.
"In this regard, South Africa, through its Mission in Maputo is working with the local authorities on verifications, as well as providing the necessary consular services," the government statement said.
"The Mission in Mozambique is being re-enforced with additional staff in order to handle the work at hand of locating, identifying and responding to the respective needs of the affected.
"South Africa stands ready to work with the government of Mozambique in pursuit of lasting peace and stability," it added.