#Mozambique – Reports from April 30th, 2026, state that an attack on St. Louis de Montfort Parish occurred in Cabo Delgado, where IS-linked militants have conducted dozens of raids since 2017, often burning multiple churches in single operations while killing or displacing Christian residents. Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo confirmed the historic church (established 1946) was completely burned and reduced to rubble.
Cabo Delgado’s Islamist insurgency has displaced over 1 million people and killed thousands, with Christians disproportionately targeted through church arsons, beheadings, and village raids. Over the past year, groups like Islamic State Mozambique Province claimed responsibility for beheading more than 30 Christians in September 2025 alone, alongside burning homes and at least several churches in coordinated assaults across northern provinces.
Mozambican security forces, supported by Rwandan and Southern African troops, have reclaimed some territory but struggle with persistent insurgent activity in remote coastal and inland villages, leaving local Catholics vulnerable with minimal global media coverage.
Image: The ruins of the affected church immediately after the fire.
