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A30 world news
Diasabra 31 Juli 2021

Regional forces join offensive against Mozambique extremists

rebels. from South Africa, leading rebels from expanding their
the contingent being sent by foothold in the region.
The new offensive is seen as the 16-nation Southern Afri- Since its start in 2017, the
a drive to regain control of can Development Commu- insurgency has been blamed
Mocimboa da Praia, the Indi- nity to assist Mozambique. for more than 3,000 deaths,
an Ocean port that the rebels according to the Armed Con-
have held for nearly a year. South Africa, the regional flict Location and Event Data
powerhouse, will send about project. The rebels, allied to
The joint forces have also 1,500 troops at a cost of near- the Islamic State group, have
been fighting the rebels in ly 1 billion rand ($68 mil- beheaded scores of people
Palma and appear to be trying lion), President Cyril Rama- and imposed Shariah law in
to secure the nearby Afungi phosa informed parliament areas they have seized. More
peninsula where the French this week. A South African than 800,000 people have
firm Total was forced to stop general is to lead the regional been displaced by the conflict
operations in its $20 billion force. and nearly 1 million people
liquified natural gas project, need food aid, according to
(AP) — Rwandan troops fought alongside Mozambi- according to Cabo Ligado, a Zimbabwe announced the U.N. World Food Pro-
have joined Mozambican can troops to regain control newsletter about the extrem- Thursday that it will deploy gram.
forces to launch a major of Awasse, a strategic town ist violence. 300 soldiers as trainers and
offensive against Islamic in northern Cabo Delgado advisers, and Botswana sent The U.S. has sent 12 special
rebels in northern Mo- province, according to the Rwanda’s forces killed 14 300 troops to Mozambique forces officers to help train
zambique as more troops Mozambican government. extremists, that country’s earlier this week. Angola Mozambique’s military, and
arrive from South Africa army spokesman announced and Botswana have also an- the European Union is to
and other neighboring “We have attacked and re- Thursday. Mozambican me- nounced they are sending send a military training mis-
countries to battle the in- occupied the enemy position dia report that both sides forces. sion to build on a training
surgency. at Awasse,” President Filipe have suffered casualties. program provided by Portu-
Nyusi said in a broadcast to The countries of southern gal, according to a recent re-
Less than two weeks after the nation earlier this week. The campaign against the Africa are giving military port by Cabo Ligado, a proj-
landing in Mozambique, the He said three other towns rebels will be further sup- support to Mozambique to ect led by ACLED to research
1,000 soldiers from Rwanda also were retaken from the ported by troops arriving try to prevent the extremist the conflict.

Ship tied to Israeli billionaire attacked off Oman, 2 killed

(AP) — An attack on an oil tank- London-based Zodiac Maritime, part did not respond to a request for com- di-led military coalition battling the
er linked to an Israeli billionaire of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zo- ment. rebel Houthis in Yemen claimed later
killed two crew members off diac Group, said the attack killed two Friday that it had thwarted an at-
Oman in the Arabian Sea, author- crew members, one from the United British military’s United Kingdom tempted “enemy drone” attack on a
ities said Friday, marking the first Kingdom and the other from Roma- Maritime Trade Operations said an Saudi merchant ship, Saudi Arabia’s
fatalities after years of assaults nia. It did not name them, nor did investigation was underway into the state TV reported, without offering
targeting shipping in the region. it describe what happened in the as- attack and that coalition forces were further details. The coalition blamed
sault. It said it believed no other crew taking part. the Iran-backed Houthis for threat-
No one immediately claimed respon- members on board were harmed. ening maritime security in the south-
sibility for the Thursday night raid on A U.S. official, speaking on condition ern Red Sea near the crucial Bab al-
the Liberian-flagged tanker Mercer The U.K. government later con- of anonymity to discuss the ongo- Mandeb Strait. The strait is used for
Street. However, a U.S. official said it firmed that a British national “has ing investigation, told The Associ- oil shipments from the Persian Gulf
appears a so-called suicide drone was died following an incident on a tank- ated Press that the attack appeared to to Europe, as well as goods from Asia
used in the attack, raising the possi- er off the coast of Oman.” have been carried out by a “one-way” to Europe.
bility that a government or a militia drone and that other drones took
group was behind it. Without provid- The statement from Zodiac Mari- part. The official said it wasn’t im- British maritime security firm Am-
ing evidence, Israeli officials alleged time said that “at the time of the in- mediately known who launched the brey said the attack on Mercer Street
that Iran carried out the attack. cident the vessel was in the northern attack and declined to elaborate. had killed one of its team members,
Indian Ocean, traveling from Dar es along with a member of the tanker’s
The U.S. Navy rushed to the scene Salaam to Fujairah with no cargo on- Israeli officials, who similarly spoke crew. The intelligence firm said it was
following the attack and was escort- board,” naming ports in Tanzania and on condition of anonymity as they working with authorities and offering
ing the tanker to a safe harbor, a Lon- the United Arab Emirates. weren’t authorized to talkj to the support to the victim’s family “at this
don-based ship management com- media, blamed Tehran for the attack, incredibly sad time.”
pany said Friday. Satellite tracking data from Marine- adding that Israel’s “campaign against
Traffic.com showed the vessel had (Iran) will continue.” U.S. State Department deputy
The assault represented the worst- been near where British officials said spokeswoman Jalina Porter extended
known maritime violence so far in the attack occurred. However, the last Israel considers Iran to be its biggest U.S. condolences and said that Wash-
regional attacks on shipping since signal the ship sent came early Friday threat, citing Tehran’s hostile rheto- ington was “deeply concerned by the
2019. The U.S., Israel and others morning. ric, support for anti-Israeli militant reports and closely monitoring the
have blamed the attacks on Iran amid groups and growing influence in the situation.” At the United Nations,
the unraveling of Tehran’s nuclear Zodiac Maritime described the Mer- region. associate spokesperson Eri Kaneko
deal with world powers. Iran now ap- cer Street’s owners as Japanese, with- said “this latest incident shows the
pears poised to take an even tougher out naming them. Shipping author- The remarks came after an earlier increased need” to protect seafarers.
approach with the West as the coun- ity Lloyd’s List identified the vessel’s report from private maritime intelli-
try prepares to inaugurate a hard-line ultimate owner as Taihei Kaiun Co., gence firm Dryad Global referred to
protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah which belongs to the Tokyo-based a drone sighting involving the vessel
Ali Khamenei as president next week. Nippon Yusen Group. prior to the attack. Iran and Yemen’s
Tehran-backed Houthi rebels have
The attack on Thursday night tar- Late Friday, Zodiac Maritime said the in the past employed suicide drones
geted the tanker just northeast of the tanker was sailing under the control — unmanned aircraft loaded with ex-
Omani island of Masirah, over 300 of her crew “to a safe location with plosives that detonate on impact with
kilometers (185 miles) southeast of a U.S. naval escort.” The company a target.
Oman’s capital, Muscat. did not elaborate. The U.S. Navy’s
5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast, In a separate development, the Sau-