Insurgents seize military base

Islamist insurgents have seized control of a key town in northern Mozambique, close to where foreign companies are working on a $60bn natural gas project. BBC News reports that they seized a military base in Mocimboa de Praia. Soldiers and police have launched a counter-offensive, police added. It marks the first time Mozambican jihadists have attacked a major town. Hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced during the three-year insurgency in Cabo Delgado. It is one of Mozambique's poorest regions, but it is rich in untapped mineral resources.