Islamic State media, Amaq News Agency on April 20 released a video of a destroyed Gazelle helicopter in Mozambique. The militant group claimed that its fighters shot down the helicopter earlier this month further confirming fear of the escalating Islamic threat in Central Africa region.
The video shows masked armed men with Islamist militant’s flag surrounding the destroyed Gazelle. Though the remains did not show registration, the color of the tail boom, which survived the fire, is consistent with Gazelle ZU-ROJ that was reported to have been destroyed on either April 8 or April 10.
While the Islamic State aligned militants have claimed responsibility of destroying the aircraft, other reports from Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) indicate that the aircraft suffered mechanical failure and landed and when the crew returned with a mechanic, they found it on fire and surrounded by people.
Nevertheless, other reports suggest that the Gazelle was hit by small arms fire, and destroyed by the crew to stop it falling into enemy hands.
According to the Daily Maverick, privately owned helicopters bombarded an Ahlu Sunnah wa Jamaa (ASWJ) militant base in Mozambique’s Muede area on April 8 and also attacked other bases in Mbau in the Awassi district and in Muidumbe the following day.
The Mozambique is battling Islamist insurgency in the country, which has claimed more than 1000 lives and has displaced thousands. Africa Union need to intervene and avert the escalating threat before it spills over to the neighboring countries.
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