Battle of marker 233

Battle of Marker 233
Date July 20, 1961 Location Garet Al Hamel Result Tunisian victory Recapture of marker 233
Belligerents
Tunisia	French colonial empire
Commanders and leaders
Abdallah el Abbab	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
19 soldiers killed	60 soldiers killed 1 plane shot down 6 vehicles destroyed

The Battle of marker 233 took place on 20 July 1961, between Tunisian and French forces in the vicinity of Garet al Hamel.

Background

Following the agreements of 17 June 1956, the French had granted the Tunisians the right to retake Fort Saint and the surrounding wells. However, this cut off the French troops from their water supply, which led to a deterioration in relations between France and Tunisia. These tensions escalated further in July 1961 during the Bizerte crisis. As a result, French forces advanced to the gates of Garet al Hamel with the aim of retaking marker 233. ^[1]

Battle

Tunisian forces, commanded by Abdallah el Abbab, successfully defended marker 233. During the fighting, they reportedly killed more than 60 French soldiers, shot down a plane, and destroyed six vehicles. ^{[2] [1]}

Aftermath

Three days later, a ceasefire was issued by the Security Council, and Tunisian forces were called upon to withdraw from marker 233. However, French forces took advantage of the ceasefire to re-establish their presence in the surrounding area. ^[3]

References

1. "50 ans de souveraineté". October 24, 2013.
2. gherrrabi (2022-12-29). "L'expansionnisme algérien: La Tunisie, «une province algérienne».Une thèse qui se confirme.(Dossier)". LAFRIQUEADULTE (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-10.
3. "Un exploit méconnu des soldats tunisiens : comment la borne 233 a été prise aux Français le 20 juillet 1961". Leaders (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-10.