Mozambique's army over the weekend foiled an attempted attack by Islamist militants in the northern town of Palma, according to President Filipe Nyusi.

Palma is near a major gas project run by the French energy giant Total.

In March, hundreds of militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group stormed the town in an attack that left dozens dead.

The president said the weekend's incident saw militants attempt to invade the village of Lumbi, in Palma district. He added that the militants killed five of their own who had attempted to defect.

Mr Nyusi made the remarks at a meeting of the governing Frelimo party held in Matola, in Maputo province.

He said the his government was open to foreign support to combat the insurgency in the north as "no one should consider themselves immune or capable of combating terrorism alone".