MAPUTO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were beheaded by armed men in the district of Palma, Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, over the weekend, local officials said on Tuesday.

The murder was committed by Islamist extremists who have been vandalizing homes and torturing civilians since October last year, officials said.

According to David Machimbuco, administrator of Palma, the barbarities may have occurred during the day, but so far no one has been taken into custody in connection with the crime.

The bodies of the victims were discovered by nearby residents.

"The case has already been submitted to the provincial police commander of the Republic de Mozambique in Cabo Delgado, who is likely to be able to give more details of the matter," Machimbuco told reporters from the district of Ulumbi, Cabo Delgado.

According to a study released last week, the Islamist group terrorizing Cabo Delgado emerged in 2015, with members coming from Tanzania, Somalia and Kenya.?