Jihadist militants' seizure of the town of Palma jeopardizes the viability of Mozambique's liquefied natural gas industry and with it, the country's financial future. Without a significant improvement in the security environment, future LNG investment plans will be delayed or suspended. The March 24-28 attack on Palma, about 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) from Total's LNG site , is the most significant, and perhaps best organized, attack by Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamo (ASWJ) to date. The attack was sophisticated, involved hundreds of militants and a great degree of operational planning similar to the August 2020 seizure of the nearby town of Mocimboa da Praia, which the group still controls. Palma’s proximity to Total's LNG project makes its seizure more significant.