By MOZTIMES
Pemba (MOZTIMES) – A carefully planned assault on the Catupa base in Macomia district resulted in heavy casualties among Mozambican soldiers on Saturday, 28 June. There are also reports of dozens of insurgents killed in the fighting.
The Catupa forest is regarded as one of the last strongholds of insurgents who continue to carry out attacks in Cabo Delgado. It is located in Macomia’s coastal zone, between the southern bank of the Messalo River and the Indian Ocean, in the administrative post of Quiterajo. The Mozambican Defence and Armed Forces (FADM) have spent years trying to dislodge insurgents from the area without success. Some initially successful offensives have been followed by counterattacks, allowing insurgents to retake control of their positions.
Saturday’s renewed attempt to seize the base triggered intense clashes between FADM troops and insurgents, resulting in dozens of fatalities on both sides. The Islamic State released images showing at least 13 bodies of Mozambican soldiers killed during the fighting, though there were also significant losses among the jihadist fighters.
According to military sources, the operation began at 4 a.m. and continued throughout the day, involving a series of attacks and counterattacks. “There were too many of them. We fell into ambushes. We only made it out thanks to our tactical manoeuvres, but we suffered many losses,” a military source told MOZTIMES.
The same source confirmed that the operation is ongoing, with reinforcements being deployed from nearby military units to continue the assault on the Catupa base. “The objective is to clear out their bases in Catupa, as that is our main concern at the moment,” the source added.
Catupa is a densely forested and difficult-to-access area, seen as one of the key operational hubs of the insurgency in central Cabo Delgado. It is believed to serve as a launching point for attacks on nearby villages.
In the early hours of Saturday, June 28, residents of Mandava village in Muidumbe district fled into the bush following reports of insurgent movements near the Messalo River. By around 3 p.m., armed men were sighted in nearby forest areas, causing panic and prompting the village to be abandoned as night fell.
“There were rumours that insurgents were in the area. Some people slept in the bush, and the brave ones stayed behind, but with fear,” said a local resident, adding that some took advantage of the panic to loot neighbours’ homes.
On 19 June, insurgents also attacked the V Congresso village in Muidumbe. The armed group entered at around 7 p.m., fired into the air, and forced residents to flee into the bush. At least five houses were set on fire, and the remaining homes were looted.
According to local witnesses, the attackers then moved along the EN380 road towards Chai village before disappearing back into the forest near Mucojo.
Security Remains Fragile on EN380
Traffic on National Road No. 380, between Macomia and Awasse, continues without a regular military escort. Sources based in Xitaxi report that protection is only provided when there are confirmed signs of insurgent movement or roadblocks.
On other days, vehicles travel unescorted — a situation that has drawn criticism from residents and local observers. “We are living in hell here,” said a teacher from Macomia. “It’s extremely dangerous to travel on a road where, just yesterday, insurgents were abducting people. But even so, drivers keep going. They only think about money, not the lives they are carrying,” he said. (MT)
