- One of the victims was beheaded, with the head found on the railway line
- Police say they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the extremely violent crime, but consider it too early to link it to terrorism in Cabo Delgado
By MOZTIMES
Nampula (MOZTIMES) – Unidentified assailants have killed three people, one of them by beheading, and left their bodies in the Nacavala area of Meconta district, Nampula province, near the National Road Number 1 (EN1).
The body of one of the victims was found without its head on the morning of 1 October, near the junction leading to Muecate town. Police later found the victim’s head on the railway line, not far from where the body had been discovered.
The bodies of the other two victims were found in the vicinity of Nacavala. A burnt-out vehicle was also discovered by the roadside near the bodies.
Dércio Samuel, spokesperson for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Nampula, confirmed on Friday that three bodies had been found in Nacavala, but did not provide details about circumstances surrounding the crime. He said, however, that the police had been alerted the previous day to the presence of the bodies at the site and that the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) had set up a team to establish the circumstances surrounding the crime.
No terrorist attacks have been reported in Nampula province since October last year. However, the discovery of the bodies, particularly the fact that one of the victims was beheaded, has led local communities to fear that the killings may be linked to the terrorism affecting neighbouring Cabo Delgado province.
Pressed by journalists on the issue, Dércio Samuel said it was too early to link the crime to terrorism in Cabo Delgado. He stressed that only the ongoing investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three victims, who have not yet been identified. (MT)
