Islamic State attacks oil fields, police find 12 headless white bodies

Reuters reported that police commander Pedro da Silva told reporters in Palma that he was not sure of the nationalities of the 12 people beheaded, but he believed they were all foreigners because they were all white, according to footage broadcast today by state-run TVM Mozambique.

“They were tied up and beheaded here,” da Silva said. He also pointed to the disturbed ground in front of the cameras and said he personally buried the victims at the site.

The tragic news comes as regional leaders are expected to conclude a meeting tomorrow to discuss a response to the insurgency in the southern African nation of Mozambique.

Insurgents linked to the Islamic State have been increasingly active in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northern province where Parma is located, since 2017, but it is not clear if they share a common purpose.

The Mozambican government previously said the latest wave of attacks, which began on March 24, had killed dozens of people. Aid groups also believe tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as a result. But the actual number of people killed, injured and fleeing remains unknown.