Under the cover of darkness, a small group of Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) fighters targeted a neighborhood on the outskirts of Mocímboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province on September 22.

They went from house to house, reportedly looking for specific individuals, before they beheaded four men from the Makonde ethnic group. It was one of about 30 attacks across the province in September that resulted in at least 39 civilian deaths and forced about 20,000 people to flee their homes.

In the lead-up to October 5, the anniversary of the insurgency’s first attack that targeted three police stations in Mocímboa da Praia in 2017, there were rumors of more attacks to come. Locals panicked, and many considered fleeing.

In the eight years since the first attack, Mozambique’s response has relied

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