At least three Americans were safely evacuated Thursday after suspected insurgents attacked a hunting camp in northern Mozambique, according to a source familiar with the incident.
The camp, located near the Niassa Special Reserve close to Cabo Delgado province, was reportedly set on fire during the attack. The source said the three Americans were out hunting when it happened, while camp staff fled. Mozambique’s military responded to the scene. There were no confirmed deaths, the source added.
Independent outlet Zitamar News first reported the incident late Thursday and suggested there may have been fatalities. Regional analyst Tertius Jacobs of Focus Group said insurgents likely abducted several civilians and looted supplies before pulling back toward Cabo Delgado. He placed the attack near Marangira village in Niassa province. Those details have not been independently verified.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique was aware of an attack on a hunting lodge in the area but did not say whether any Americans were impacted.
The State Department has advised U.S. citizens not to travel to Niassa Special Reserve, warning that militants have previously targeted upscale hunting lodges there and taken hostages. Big-game hunting season in the reserve runs from May to November and regularly attracts groups from the U.S.
Mozambique’s government did not respond to a request for comment.
The attack is the latest in a conflict that has gripped gas-rich Cabo Delgado since 2017. An Islamic State-linked insurgency there has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
