On Tuesday, an unknown armed group killed three residents of a village in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, from where they kidnapped 10 women and children, local sources reported today.

"We were surprised on Tuesday at around 6pm: 'terrorists' came and beheaded three people, one of my neighbors and two of the local force," described a 69-year-old resident who lives in Mitope, in the district of Mocímboa da Praia.

"It's sad because we're close to the security [forces] here in Awasse," he said in the local language 'kimwani', alluding to the nearest post where Rwandan troops are stationed, on Estrada Nacional 380 (EN380), the paved road that crosses Cabo Delgado.

The resident told Lusa that she walked on foot during the night from Mitope to Awasse, looking for safety.

Another source in the community said that the same group had taken eight women and two children to an undisclosed location.

"They've taken our family members, 10 in total, eight women and two children who don't know where they've gone," lamented a 47-year-old resident, who was also speaking from Awasse.

After the attack, members of the local force met and alerted the authorities, asking for an increase in manpower.

"We're working to ensure that this doesn't happen again and the authorities have already been informed. We won't rest until peace reigns here in Mitope," said one of the members.

The community of Mitope is located near Awasse, along the EN380.

The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency for five years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021 with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near the gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in neighboring Nampula province.

The conflict has already displaced a million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and caused around 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.