Twelve villagers were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Since October, the southeast African country's golden vision to exploit its gas reserves has been thrown into doubt by an explosion of bloodthirsty assaults in the region where the industry plans to base its hub.

"Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

A health official in the Cabo Delgado region, who declined to be named, said that an ambulance was dispatched to Paqueue to "rescue the 14 wounded".

In a separate incident, a military convoy came under attack near the Tanzanian border north of Paqueue, killing a senior army officer, according to a police source.

"The attack occurred at night when defence and security forces routinely patrol. The attackers wore military uniforms and had large-calibre firearms," said the source who declined to be named.