The United States on Monday vowed to support Mozambique after a prolonged deadly assault on the northern town of Palma by Islamic State-linked militants waging an escalating insurgency. "We remain committed to working together with the government of Mozambique to counter terrorism and violent extremism and defeat ISIS," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. "We condemn the terrorist attacks on the town of Palma. "These attacks show a complete disregard for the welfare and security of the local population which has suffered tremendously at the terrorists' brutal and indiscriminate tactics." Kirby declined to give details about how the United States works to assist Mozambique against the militants. Dozens of people, according to IS and the authorities, were killed in what witnesses describe as a coordinated attack on Palma last week, and an unknown number were still missing. The insurgency has spread across northern Mozambique since 2017. sl/bgs/ft