Islamist militants have hijacked a naval vessel and boarded a cargoship in a raid off Mozambique.
The attack happened at the port of Mocimboa da Praia at 0200 GMT on 23 March, according to local media and security consultancy Ambrey.
A military patrol vessel, named as HSI 2, was taken and an unnamed Palau-flagged vessel was also targeted.
Some of the attackers arrived in two boats, at the same time as the militants launched a land assault.
"Within hours of the attack, both of the aforementioned vessels stopped AIS transmissions," Ambrey said.
The patrol ship appeared to move 100 metres offshore and then drifted along the coastline before stopping transmissions. Its whereabouts were not known.
The cargoship has remained off the port.
Ambrey is working to confirm the safety of the crews and vessels.
A Palau-flagged Kenyan general cargoship was also drifting offshore at the time of the attack, but has now left the port.
Militants take control of port
Bloomberg reported that the unidentified militants overran the town, which is close to an area in which companies including Total and Exxon Mobil are developing LNG projects worth almost $60bn.
Police spokesman Orlando Mudumane said on state television on Monday: "They occupied the city, which is currently under fire. The defence and security forces are currently fighting to restore order."
The Islamist insurgency is an ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado province.
The gunmen are attempting to establish an Islamic state in the region.
Civilians have been the main targets of attacks.
The primary insurgent faction is Ansar al-Sunna, a domestic group, but from mid-2018, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had allegedly become active in northern Mozambique as well.
It claimed its first attack against Mozambican security forces in June 2019.
