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(CNN) – A missing British contractor is believed to have been killed since Islamist militants first attacked the northern Mozambique city of Palma just over a week ago, his family said Thursday.
Dozens of people were killed and hundreds are still missing after the multi-day attack by the ISIS-affiliated group.
Relatives of contractor Philip Mawer said they had learned that a body matching his description had been found, but were awaiting confirmation. “We understand that a formal identification process is necessary before we can know for sure if the body is Philip’s,” the family statement said.
“It appears that Philip died while trying to escape the siege of ISIS-linked insurgents at the Amarula hotel near Palma.”
A ferry carrying about 1,200 people evacuated from northern Mozambique arrived at the port of Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado province, on Thursday, according to aid agencies and local journalists.
Some of those who got off the ship spoke of heavy casualties in Palma, some 150 miles to the north, after the attack.
The group that carried out the assault is known locally as Shabaab, the Youth, but little is known about their ideology or organization. He has no ties to the Somali terror group with the same name.
Sporadic fights
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report on Wednesday that the situation in Palma “remains tense, with sporadic clashes and clashes.”
“More than 3,300 people fleeing the violence in Palma have reached the districts of Nangade, Mueda, Montepuez and Pemba, while thousands more are believed to be on their way on foot, by boat and by bus to safer places,” the update said.
“The displaced are arriving to safer places exhausted, traumatized, injured and in need of urgent medical attention. Many have reported seeing their relatives killed and said they had to hide in the bushes for days, without food or water, to avoid to the armed “. men who attacked their communities. “
Three-quarters of those who made it to safety were women and children, according to the report, citing the International Organization for Migration. Some families were separated while fleeing and several unaccompanied children arrived in Pemba, according to the OCHA report.
Several aid agencies and organizations are helping those on the run, including the World Food Program, Save the Children and the International Organization for Migration.
Foreign workers apparently attacked
When the attack on Palma began on March 24, the insurgents came from three directions in a well-planned operation. Some of the assailants wore military uniforms, according to regional security sources, confusing the small number of troops stationed there.
And, for the first time, the group appears to have deliberately targeted foreign workers, dozens of whom were trapped in the Amarula hotel on the northern outskirts of the city.
Mawer’s family described him as an “outgoing, outgoing character who had something of a lovable rogue about him,” adding that “he had a wonderful sense of humor and could be trusted to find humorous insight into the most difficult situations.” .
Born in 1962, Mawer had worked for the Dubai-based company RA International in Mozambique for 18 months as a national manager, in charge of the construction of camps for the workers involved in the large natural gas project on the Afungi Peninsula. Run by Total French Company.
“The nature of his chosen line of work was to be in the most dangerous corners of the world and Philip’s career had previously taken him to Somalia, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Afghanistan and Yemen,” his family said. “His ability to get things done in the harshest environments made him a valuable colleague.”
Total announced on Saturday that it was suspending plans to restart operations on the Afungi Peninsula, which were previously halted after insurgent attacks in January.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “British Contractor Allegedly Killed in Mozambique Terror Attack, Family Says”
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