Mozambique's military is battling a major Islamist attack in the town of Macomia in northern Mozambique, according to President Filipe Nyusi.

"Macomia is under attack since this morning. Fire exchange still continues," Nyusi said in a televised address on Friday, adding that the militants initially withdrew after about 45 minutes of fighting, but then regrouped and came back.

Macomia lies in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado, where Islamic State-linked militants launched an insurgency in 2017.

What do we know about the attack?

Local media reported that hundreds of militants took part in the Friday attack.

The attack appeared to be the most serious in a while, amid a surge in violence since the start of the year. The International Organization for Migration said in March that over 110,000 people had been displaced in the province since the end of last year.

A regional force from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), deployed in Mozambique in 2021, started withdrawing last month as its mandate ends in July.

The president warned attacks can occur during periods of transition.

The attack comes as French energy giant TotalEnergies explores restarting work on a $20-billion (approximately €18.56 billion) liquefied natural gas project in Cabo Delgado. The project was paused in 2021 due to the insurgency.

rmt/lo (AFP, Reuters)