A new wave of escalating terror attacks attributed to the Islamic State Jihadists, IS-Mozambique, locally known as Al-Shabaab, has forced thousands of terrified civilians to flee the villages of Chiure Novo in Cabo Delgado province, Northeastern Mozambique.

The recent attack on the Magaia community in Chiure district that prompted the displacement resulted in the tragic loss of at least four lives on Saturday. Another alarming incident involved the burning of a health unit in the Mazeze administrative post in Chiúre district on Feb. 14, 2024.

According to district administrator Oliveira Amimo, the surge in terrorist activities in Chiúre began on Feb. 3, with the militants entering the region from the neighbouring district of Mecufi. 

The recent attack on the Mazeze administrative post witnessed the destruction of a Catholic chapel, the administrative post’s secretariat, and the residence of the post’s head.

“The infrastructures have basically been destroyed,” stated Amimo.

The jihadist group has claimed responsibility for a recent attack in Macomia district, where at least 20 people lost their lives. The militants have also targeted the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), intensifying their operations in an attempt to assert themselves as the leading IS franchise in Africa.

IS-Mozambique has been recently occupying the first pages of Al-Naba, the Islamic State weekly propaganda publication, recording a higher number of attacks than Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has a larger operational base. 

Locals report hundreds of casualties, schools destroyed, and properties burnt down in the operational bases of the terrorist group. The number of displaced people in the region is rapidly increasing, with fears of further attacks prompting residents to flee not only Magaia but also the nearby village of Ntonhane.

As of 2023, over 2 million people required immediate humanitarian assistance and protection in Cabo Delgado and nearby provinces. European Commission estimates included more than a million people evicted from their homes, with around 3.5 million facing acute food insecurity in Northern Mozambique.

Since 2017, Cabo Delgado has been the epicentre of a brutal jihadist insurgency, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacing over a million people. The propaganda wing of the Islamic State has indicated that the terrorists are mostly targeting a Christian majority population, an attempt they employ to ignite religious tensions wherever they operate. 

The insurgents have seized control of key towns, posing a threat to multi-billion-dollar natural gas projects crucial for Mozambique’s economic future. Recently, Total Energy considered the suspension of its activities in the terror-ravaged region.

Despite efforts by Mozambican security forces supported by regional and international allies, containing the insurgency and protecting civilians remain challenging.