Insurgents identified with the Islamic State have shot and killed an Italian nun in Nampula province, Mozambique.
According to a report by Reuters, the Islamic insurgents also beheaded six other individuals in a killing spree that terrorized communities in Cabo Delgado, located in Mozambique's northern part.
Details of the Attack
Based on the same report, the attackers have been fleeing combined peacekeeping forces that government authorities dispatched to quell the ongoing violence in Rwanda and Mozambique.
Filipe Nyusi, president of Mozambique, told reporters that the Islamic extremists were evading armed personnel from the Southern African Development Community.
The peacekeeping forces also included Rwandan and Mozambiquan soldiers, the report disclosed.
"On the 6th of September, as a result of terrorist attacks, six citizens were beheaded, three kidnapped, six terrorists were captured and dozens of houses torched in the districts of Erati and Memba, Nampula province," Reuters quoted President Nyusi saying.
Mety Gondola, the secretary of state of Nampula, revealed that the attackers shot an 83-year-old Italian nun during Tuesday night's carnage.
The nun reportedly died from her head wounds.
Gondola bared that the situation in Nampula has reached alarming levels but refused to provide additional information about the recent attack.
According to the same report, the nun has been in Mozambique since 1963 and was a member of the Comboni Missionary Sisters.
Islamic State Claims Responsibility for the Attacks
Following Tuesday's carnage, the Islamic State issued a statement on Wednesday claiming responsibility for the murders.
Aside from the beheading and killing of the nun, the terrorist group also disclosed burning churches, buildings, and vehicles while making their escape from government forces.
The Reuters report said the Islamic extremists also admitted to destroying properties belonging to a Christian mission in Nampula.
Aside from saying they were responsible for the arson and murders, the Islamic State explained in their statement that they killed the nun for allegedly 'going too far in spreading Christianity.'
Lost Lives, Economic Impacts
The report added that the insurgents' attacks had claimed many lives since 2017.
The violence perpetrated by the Islamic extremists has also caused costly damages to natural gas projects in Cabo Delgado.
The attacks reportedly disrupted the multi-billion oil exploration projects in the region.
About Islamic State
According to a Britannica article, the Islamic State is a 'transnational Sunni insurgent group operating in eastern Syria and western Iraq.'
The article said that the terrorist group first gained notoriety as ISIL or the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
The insurgent organization also goes by the name Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS.
The Britannica article added that the Islamic State leadership has ventured beyond Syria and Iraq, which explains why they now have a presence in Rwanda and Mozambique.
Prior to Tuesday's beheadings, ISIS/ISIL has been known to decapitate hostages, including Western journalists.
The group is also known to burn their victims to death, like in the case of the Jordanian pilot that they captured in February 2015.
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