Churches destroyed, thousands displaced

Christians working in Mozambique are becoming increasingly concerned about the human cost of the wave of violence now sweeping south across the country.

The persecuted-church agency Open Doors reports that over 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced from their homes in northern Mozambique following a sharp rise in attacks by Islamist militants.

The escalation in Cabo Delgado province started earlier this year when Islamic State Mozambique attacked security forces, killing at least 20 soldiers. Since then they have moved farther, attacking villages, and forcing people to flee. The total number of those displaced has now reached 650,000.