SA soldier killed in insurgency ambush in Mozambique

A South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier was shot and killed during an insurgent attack in Mozambique on Monday.

He was declared dead at the scene. His body was then flown back to the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) Chai Tactical base.

The SANDF had deployed soldiers to the Cabo Delgado Province as part of SAMIM’s Operation Vikela.

But they were ambushed by insurgents around the east of the Chai Village area.

“The members managed to fight through the ambush, however, while at the rendezvous awaiting the chopper, they got attacked by the insurgents again,” said Director of Defence Corporate Communication, Brigadier General Andries Mahapa.

“During this incident, an SANDF member was shot and declared dead on the scene. The mortal remains of the member were flown back to the SAMIM Chai Tactical Base.”

Investigations into the incident are currently underway. Authorities want to determine the extent of injuries of personnel and loss of equipment from the operation.   

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise and the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thabang Makwetla, have extended their condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the soldier.

Nearly 800,000 people have been displaced by an ongoing insurgency in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

The insurgency began about three years ago and has killed over 3,000 people.

Cabo Delgado is one of the poorest regions in the country, ranked in the bottom 15 countries in the UN Human Development Index for poverty over the past 10 years.

In March this year, insurgents attacked the coastal town of Palma, killing dozens of people and triggering an exodus that included employees from the Total project, forcing the company to halt work on a $20-billion natural gas project.

Rwanda and southern African regional forces deployed to support the Mozambican military in July.

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