Mozambique hunting lodge linked to Carlos Queiroz set ablaze in suspected rebel attack

At least three Americans have been evacuated from a hunting camp in northern Mozambique after suspected militants attacked the site, which is co-owned by Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz.

The camp, located inside a wildlife reserve, was reportedly set on fire during the assault, according to a source quoted by Reuters. The three Americans were on a hunting trip when the attack took place, while camp employees fled before the Mozambican army intervened against the attackers.

Reports of deaths and possible abductions have emerged, although neither has been independently verified.

Queiroz, the former manager of Egypt and Iran, said he was waiting for information from military and security authorities before drawing conclusions about what happened.

“From the images I have seen, it appears that the entire facility has been burned,” the Portuguese coach told Reuters by telephone from Lisbon.

He added that the area was currently off-limits because of the security situation and said he had no first-hand information from the scene.

Zitamar News, an independent English-language digital news platform in Mozambique, first reported the attack late on Thursday evening. It said that several people had been killed.

Regional analyst Tertius Jacobs said he believed the attackers had abducted a number of civilians, but there has been no confirmation of those claims.

A spokesperson for the United States Department of State said the US embassy in Mozambique was aware of an attack on a hunting lodge near the Niassa Special Reserve, close to the outskirts of Cabo Delgado province.

The spokesperson did not confirm whether any American citizen had been injured.

The Niassa Special Reserve is one of Africa’s largest protected wildlife areas. The hunting camp is situated in northern Mozambique, an area that has faced a long-running security crisis.

Mozambique has been fighting an insurgency linked to Islamic State in gas-rich Cabo Delgado since 2017. The conflict has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands of residents from their homes.

The attack is the latest reported incident connected with the wider instability in the region. However, the available details remain limited, with authorities yet to publish a full account of the assault or confirm the number of casualties.

Queiroz is currently head coach of Ghana’s national team. Before taking that role, he managed Egypt and Iran, as well as holding a number of other senior positions in international football.

The evacuation of the Americans was confirmed in reports about the incident, but it remains unclear whether anyone else was able to leave the camp safely or what happened to the employees who fled during the attack.