Photo: Aid to the Church in Need

Mozambique: Terrorists kill 11 Christians in an attack in Cabo Delgado province

At least 11 Christians were massacred by terrorists on Friday, September 15, 2023, in northern Mozambique. According to information provided to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) by Brother Boaventura, a missionary of the Brothers of the Poor of Jesus Christ in the region, the murders took place in the village of Naquitengue, near Mocimboa da Praia, in Cabo Delgado province. The area has been the target of attacks by Islamic extremists since 2017.

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(ZENIT News / Mocimboa da Praia, Mozambique, 09.21.2023).- According to Brother Boaventura, the terrorists arrived in Naquitengue in the early afternoon and summoned the entire population. They then proceeded to separate Christians from Muslims, apparently based on their names and ethnicity. «They opened fire on the Christians, shooting them repeatedly,» the missionary recounted. The attack was claimed in a statement by a local group loyal to the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The terrorists claimed to have killed 11 Christians, but the actual number of victims may be higher, and there are also seriously injured individuals.

Brother Boaventura stated that this method has been used before. The result has been widespread panic in the area. The attacks occurred at a time when «many people were beginning to return to their communities,» leading to an increase in «tension and insecurity.» «We must pray for our brothers who are suffering so much,» added the missionary.

According to Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, the attacks in Cabo Delgado and the neighboring Niassa province have caused the internal displacement of nearly one million people and the brutal murder of another five thousand.

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ZENIT Staff

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