Last Wednesday, the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces shot dead six alleged terrorists in the community of Mandela, Muidumbe district, Cabo Delgado province.

A source from the local force who was involved in the operation told Lusa that "there was intense fire in downtown Mandela, near the banks of the Messalo River".

"The terrorists were cornered and six of them were killed by us, I'm talking about the local force and the Mozambican military," said the source, from the village of Mandava, more than 20 kilometers from the district headquarters, Namacande.

According to the source, the alleged rebels who were killed had already been pursued by government forces for a week, as a result of an operation launched after appeals from residents who have small gardens in the area.

In the meantime, the operations continue and, in addition to the village of Mandela, cover the villages of Mapate and Litapata. The operations are taking place as part of efforts to stabilize the security situation in Cabo Delgado.