Twelve villagers were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Since October, the southeast African country's golden vision to exploit its gas reserves has been thrown into doubt by an explosion of bloodthirsty assaults in the region where the industry plans to base its hub.

"Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

A health official in the Cabo Delgado region, who declined to be named, said that an ambulance was dispatched to Paqueue to "rescue the 14 wounded".

In a separate incident, a military convoy came under attack near the Tanzanian border north of Paqueue, killing a senior army officer, according to a police source.

"The attack occurred at night when defence and security forces routinely patrol. The attackers wore military uniforms and had large-calibre firearms," said the source who declined to be named.</s>Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

 

 “Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead” in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.</s>Twelve villagers were killed and 14 wounded in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Since October, government plans to exploit the country's gas reserves have been thrown into doubt by an explosion of bloodthirsty assaults in the region where the industry plans to base its hub.

"Ten people were shot (dead) by firearms and two burnt (to death)," the source said of the violence which took place late Thursday in Paqueue village which lies close to the Quirimbas tourist archipelago.

One of the shooting victims had also been beheaded and the attackers had burnt 55 houses, the source said.

Medics said another 14 people were wounded in the attack.

In a separate incident further north, gunmen attacked a military convoy near the Tanzanian border on Thursday night, killing a senior army officer, a police source said.

"The attackers wore military uniforms and had large-calibre firearms," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Since October, more than 40 people have been killed in brazen machete and gun assaults on unarmed villagers in the coastal region.

Security forces have rushed reinforcements to the area yet seem powerless to stem the attacks. Terrorised, many civilians have fled their homes and a cloud hangs over the great expansion plans.

Back in June, while visiting Palma, one of the areas worst hit by the attacks, President Filipe Nyusi vowed the security forces would be "firm and ruthless" in pursuing the jihadists.

The region has been relatively quiet in recent months but the latest attack was likely to raise fears that the nascent insurgency had regrouped.

Police did not return calls for comment on the latest bloodshed.

Locals and authorities call the assailants Al-Shabaab, although the group has no known link to the notorious Somali Islamists of that name, nor has it issued any claim of responsibility or demands.

According to academic researchers, the group wants to impose Sharia law in the Muslim-majority province.

The attackers are believed to have staged their first attack on a police station and military outpost in the northern town of Mocimboa da Praia in October 2017. Two officers died and 14 attackers were killed.

In the following weeks, at least 300 Muslims were arrested, some of them Tanzanians, and several mosques shuttered -- and then suspicion began to fall on the region's residents.

After 180 trillion cubic feet (5.1 trillion cubic metres) of natural gas were discovered off its northeastern shores, Mozambique entertained dreams of following Qatar down the path towards prosperity.

The government even predicted that by 2035, GDP per head could increase sevenfold.</s>Twelve villagers were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Since October, the southeast African country’s golden vision to exploit its gas reserves has been thrown into doubt by an explosion of bloodthirsty assaults in the region where the industry plans to base its hub.

“Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead” in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

A health official in the Cabo Delgado region, who declined to be named, said that an ambulance was dispatched to Paqueue to “rescue the 14 wounded”.

In a separate incident, a military convoy came under attack near the Tanzanian border north of Paqueue, killing a senior army officer, according to a police source.

“The attack occurred at night when defence and security forces routinely patrol. The attackers wore military uniforms and had large-calibre firearms,” said the source who declined to be named. DM

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Twelve villagers are killed and 14 are wounded in an attack by Ansar al-Sunna on a village in northern Mozambique.