People stand around at the train station in Savane, on the east coast of Mozambique, on September 26, 2009. By Carlos Litulo (AFP/File)
MAPUTO (AFP) - Armed men on Monday carried out a deadly attack on a military weapons depot in central Mozambique, an official said, but the identity of the perpetrators and the exact toll were not immediately clear."Around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), there was shooting close to the arms depot in Savane," local district administrator Joao Oliveira told state-run radio.He said the attack had caused casualties but would not provide figures.Several local media outlets reported five dead and three wounded, quoting hospital sources in the nearby coastal city of Beira where the victims were taken following the attack."The dead and wounded came from Muaza, a railway town next to the Sena Line which serves to move coal from Moatize in Tete," the independent Canal de Mozambique newspaper reported.The attack caused panic among residents."There are a lot of soldiers here now, as well as FIR (riot police)," Savane resident Bonifacio Tomacene told AFP. He said the sound of gunfire coming from the army depot lasted at least half an hour.The modus operandi of the attack bears a strong resemblance to raids carried out by the former rebel Renamo group during Mozambique's civil war on government armouries in order to arm themselves.When contacted by AFP, Renamo's spokesman, Fernando Mazanga said: "I heard about this from journalists phoning me up...
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