Mozambican defence and security forces killed five suspected insurgents during fighting near the Catupa military base in Cabo Delgado province in June, according to an official source cited by Lusa. The incident was disclosed in July, weeks after the reported clash in the forests of Macomia district.
The source said the fighters were attempting another incursion into the Catupa base, about 25 kilometres from the village of V Congresso along National Road 380. Government forces had received information about the direction of the approach and prepared an ambush, according to the account. At least five suspected attackers were killed at the scene. Several others suffered injuries described as both serious and minor.
Some members of the government force were also wounded. The official source said those personnel were out of danger, but did not provide their number or further medical details. No independent account of the encounter was included in the available reporting, and the identities of the dead were not reported.
Catupa has remained a contested area. In early July, people associated with Islamic State propaganda channels claimed a separate attack in the same forest had killed five Mozambican soldiers, led to the capture of a sixth and resulted in weapons being seized. Mozambican authorities had not confirmed that claim, making it distinct from the government account of the June ambush. The competing statements underline the difficulty of establishing outcomes in an area where access and verification are limited.
The broader insurgency in gas-rich Cabo Delgado began with an attack in Mocímboa da Praia district on October 5, 2017. Armed Conflict Location and Event Data figures cited in the report recorded 11 violent events in the province during the first two weeks of June, all involving Islamic State-linked extremists, with eight deaths. ACLED's tally put the cumulative death toll since the start of the insurgency at 6,632. Of 2,408 violent events recorded since October 2017, it said 2,224 involved actors associated with Islamic State Mozambique.
President Daniel Chapo announced on July 2 that the Northern Operational Theatre Command would move from Pemba to Mocímboa da Praia. He said the relocation was intended to improve coordination, speed responses and bring commanders closer to the main areas of fighting, including Palma, Macomia and Quissanga.
The Catupa report fits that effort to concentrate military command near recurrent flashpoints. It establishes an official claim of five insurgent deaths and injuries on both sides, but does not independently verify the government's version or resolve the separate Islamic State allegation about Mozambican military losses in the same area.
