Dozens of people were killed during coordinated jihadist attacks staged in northern Mozambique's Palma town, the defence ministry said Sunday in its first statement since the raids were launched four days ago. "Last Wednesday, a group of terrorists sneaked into... Palma and launched actions that resulted in the cowardly murder of dozens of defenceless people," defence ministry spokesman Omar Saranga, told a news conference. Seven of those were killed in an ambush during an operation to evacuate them from a hotel where they had sought refuge. str-sn/pvh