The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) active in the restive Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique has overrun a significant and heavily-defended port town of Mocimboa da Praia (MDP). The occupation reportedly took small sequential attacks by the insurgents in neighboring villages like Anga, Awasse, and Buji in what appears as a sophisticated combat tactic to wear out the Mozambican military before the big seizure of MDP.
The port town is used for cargo deliveries to the oil projects about 60km (37 miles) away, which are being developed by oil giants including Total. The attack was carried out in sequences that left the Mozambican troops at a disadvantage, low on ammunition and defenseless leading to a tactical withdrawal on their part. The seized and occupied town is close to the Tanzanian and Mozambique’s border and as such making it very strategic in the facilitation of the insurgents’ possible future expansions both further into Mozambique and towards the neighboring country.
Preliminary SITREP indicates that the rebels have conducted the most sophisticated and well-coordinated attack yet and appear to be employing a lot of ISIS-like tactics that have been out-maneuvering the government troops. The recent occupation of MDP took at least a week of a series of small attacks that were meant to distract and exhaust the military before finally mounting the big finish attack that led to the capture of the MDP. The week-long attacks also stirred fear among residents who fled the town easing the takeover by the insurgents.
The military who ran out of ammunition and battle supplies thus the tactical withdrawal, allowed the group to take over MDP and according to intelligence, ISCAP intends to keep the town and as such interfering with a major transit point into the restive province. Mozambique’s neighbors including Tanzania and South Africa are on edge and have been egging their counterparts to take charge of the situation, seek assistance to defeat the insurgency. SA appears to have commenced training of troops in readiness for deployment into Mozambique. On the other hand, Tanzania has been moving troops to the border to protect against a possible incursion as well as carrying out operations in the forest bordering Mozambique to keep off the militants as well as block out the routes used to transport recruits into Cabo Delgado.
