Battle of Al Mahbes (1979)

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Battle of Al Mahbes (1979)
Part of the Western Sahara War
The wall and moroccan soldiers at sight.jpg
Date14 October 1979
Location
Al Mahbes, Western Sahara
27°24′58″N9°03′04″W / 27.416°N 9.051°W / 27.416; -9.051
Result Sahrawi victory
Belligerents
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
Casualties and losses
Unknown At least 132 Killed
150 wounded
53 captured
Western Sahara relief location map.jpg
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Location within Western Sahara

The Battle of Al Mahbes was fought on 14 October 1979 during the war in Western Sahara. The Polisario Front annihilated a battalion of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.

Contents

Background

An AMX-13 tank (here in a museum in Israel), identical to those used by the Moroccan garrison. Latrun 161112 AMX 13.jpg
An AMX-13 tank (here in a museum in Israel), identical to those used by the Moroccan garrison.

The town of Al Mahbes is defended by a battalion of the 14th motorized infantry regiment of the Moroccan army, about 780 men. [1]

The garrison included an artillery battery, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles and an armoured squadron, including 8 AMX-13 tanks (4 of which were present on the day of the attack). [2]

After the attack on Smara, the Polisario forces who retreated to their bases in Algeria decided to attack the garrison of Al Mahbes. [3]

Around ten Polisario units took part in the attack, i.e. around 1,200 men. [1]

Battle

The attack is launched at 6:00 a.m. Around noon, all Moroccan defensive lines were taken by the Polisario, and the last Moroccan resistance was broken at around 4 pm. The Moroccan Air Force intervened. [4] During the day of the 15th, the Saharawis pursued the fleeing Moroccans [2] and blocked Moroccan reinforcements. [5] Part of the garrison, including its commander Captain Mohamed Sakka, managed to withdraw to the town of Zag. Both sides are said to have run out of ammunition. [6]

Casualties and consequences

According to the Polisario, 767 Moroccan soldiers were killed. Journalists who came to the scene counted 132 Moroccan corpses. [2] The Polisario also presented 53 prisoners to journalists. [5] According to Moroccan reports, 20% of the soldiers of the garrison have been killed and the number of wounded is even higher. [7]

According to Morocco, the assailants deplore 350 dead and 75 vehicles destroyed, but journalists can come and visit the base conquered by the Polisario the day after the attack. [8]

400 tonnes of weapons of all kinds, including a BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile, were captured by the Polisario Front following this attack. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 Ali, p. 153.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ostos, Manuel (1979-10-27). "Marruecos perdió un batallón y cuatrocientas toneladas de armamento en la batalla de Mahbes". El País (in Spanish). ISSN   1134-6582 . Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  3. ↑ Jensen, p. 44.
  4. ↑ Weexsteen, p. 427.
  5. 1 2 "Dans Mahbès conquise par le Polisario". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1979-10-26. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  6. ↑ "Moroccans Are Ready For a War of Attrition With Rebels in Sahara; King's Fate May Hang on War". The New York Times. 1979-11-12. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  7. ↑ Besenyő, p. 123.
  8. ↑ "Des journalistes invités à Smara n'ont pas constaté de destructions". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1979-10-18. Retrieved 2020-07-23.

Sources

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