Terrorists kill several civilians in Mozambique's port town

Terrorists have attacked a key Mozambique port town near a major international gas hub early on Monday and beheaded several civilians, locals reported.

It was the second attack this month on Mocimboa da Praia, which is around 80 kilometres south of a stalled major liquefied natural gas project.

The attackers entered in the early hours of the morning and forced a resident to go from house to house, calling out names of certain people, a local military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"As soon as they emerged, they were beheaded," he said, adding three civilians were killed this way. "At least three terrorists were killed by a hunter living in the neighbourhood," he said.

Several abducted

One local told AFP that four civilian men were beheaded and an expectant woman was shot, dying later in hospital.