Four Rwandan soldiers were killed in an ambush last month while fighting ISIS-linked insurgents in Mozambique’s troubled Cabo Delgado province, a senior Rwandan military official has confirmed.
Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) spokesperson Ronald Rwivanga said the soldiers were attacked in a forested area of Mocímboa da Praia, a district that has seen frequent clashes between security forces and Islamist militants.
“We managed to contain them but lost four soldiers a couple of weeks ago in Katumba Forest. We landed in an ambush,” Rwivanga told DefenceWeb, a South African defence news platform.
He added that the attack also followed earlier casualties, bringing the total to seven RDF fatalities and six wounded since their deployment.
Rwandan troops were first deployed to northern Mozambique in July 2021 at the request of the Mozambican government, which has struggled to contain a violent insurgency that began in 2017.
The militants, who claim allegiance to the self-styled Islamic State (ISIS), have carried out brutal attacks on civilians and seized territory, particularly along the strategic northern coastline.
The insurgency has forced thousands of Mozambicans to flee their homes over the past few years.
JN/APA