At least five villagers were killed on Thursday in the conflict-hit Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, according to security officials.

Army Branch Commander in the province, Andre Rafael Mahunguane, told reporters that a group of terrorists descended on the village of Melija in the Chiure district and rounded up villagers before executing the victims.

“But they later fled after some villagers had overpowered them. At the moment, the village has been abandoned because people are now living in fear following reported cases of fresh terrorist attacks in the area,” said Mahunguane.

Many groups are fighting for control of the mineral-rich region.

The United Nations High Commissioner for the Refugees (UNHCR) said more than 25,000 people have been recently displaced in the region, joining over 1.3 million others who were uprooted from villages since 2017.