(BBC) – Mozambique’s military says it has regained full control of the coastal town of Palma, more than a week after it was raided by militant Islamists.
A “significant” number of militants were killed in the counter-offensive, an army spokesman said.
State radio reported that residents who had fled were starting to return – some to homes that were looted.
Dozens of civilians were killed and at least 11,000 displaced after the militants invaded Palma on 24 March.
A South African and British national were among those killed in what was one of the biggest attacks by the militants in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province since they launched an insurgency in the region in 2017.
Communication with the town, which has a population of about 75,000, remains cut.
The militants, known locally as al-Shabab, have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Their assault on Palma forced energy giant Total to suspend its multi-billion dollar natural gas project in Afungi, a short distance from the town.
