Mozambican forces have killed a Tanzanian national believed to be one of the leaders of insurgents causing mayhem in the northern Cabo Delgado province.
Police general commander Bernardino Rafael said Tuahil Muhidim was killed on January 29 in an operation by Mozambican and Rwandan security forces.
“This leader, Tuahil Muhidim, a Tanzanian who was already wanted by the Defence and Security Forces, directed an operation in Mocímboa da Praia,” Rafael said on national radio.
Muhidim is believed to have led a 2020 attack that captured Mocimboa da Praia, the northern port used to receive cargo for multi-billion-dollar gas projects in the region.
Rafael said a joint operation involving Mozambican, Rwandan and Southern African Development Community troops has killed more than seven rebel commanders since November 2021.
Insurgents linked to the Islamic State have caused havoc in the mineral-rich Cabo Delgado province since October 2017, killing over 3,500 people and displacing more than 800,000 others.
JN/APA