AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - At least 180 people took refuge in a hotel besieged by jihadists

Maputo (Agenzia Fides) - About 180 people, including several foreigners, took refuge in a hotel in Palma, where they have been besieged since the night of March 24 by a jihadist group that has attacked the city in the province of Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique.
Jihadist militants began a raid on the coastal city on Wednesday afternoon, forcing terrified residents to flee into the surrounding forest as employees of the nearby gas extraction company and the government sought refuge in the Amarula Palma hotel.
"Almost the entire city has been destroyed. Many people have died", said a worker at the gas extraction site.
"As the local population fled to the mountains, the gas company workers, including foreigners, took refuge in the Amarula hotel, where they are waiting to be rescued". A private South African security company has managed to contain the insurgents with the fire of its three light combat helicopters until yesterday afternoon. Then the helicopters had to withdraw because they had run out of fuel.
The Mozambican army is still trying to find an air corridor to allow its evacuation by air. An untold number of people have already been rescued. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 27/3/2021)

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