Mocímboa da Praia is a port town in northern Mozambique, lying on the Indian Ocean coast, in Cabo Delgado Province.

The city was prominent during the colonial period due to its port, which served the export market, and because of easy access to Tanzania and the north.

[citation needed] In 2017, an Islamic extremist group linked to ISIL named "Ansar al-Sunna" attacked the city during the Insurgency in Cabo Delgado, killing 17 people.

[1] Another attack took place on March 24, 2020,[2] which briefly gave the militants control of the city before they were driven out by the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces.

[3] Islamist insurgents took control of the city on August 12, 2020, after defending government forces ran short of ammunition and evacuated, some by sea.