Security forces in Mozambique have reported the death of 16 men they describe as Islamist insurgents, not all of whom perished in firefights with the authorities.
According to the BBC, police also announced the capture of four “jihadists” who were involved in the recruitment and radicalization of locals, with police commander Bernardino Rafael sharing details during a meeting with local residents in the Quissanga district of the province of Cabo Delgado.
During the meeting, Rafael mentioned that some of the insurgents were apparently killed by wildlife, primarily lions and crocodiles.
“They are dying from gunshot wounds... Many of them [were] wounded by our weapons. But even animals also contribute to the death of the Islamist insurgents,” he said, as quoted by local media.
Rafael also reportedly mentioned that, while some of the jihadists who succumbed to their injuries and died were being buried by the locals, a number of bodies got devoured by animals.