First Nouackchott raid | |||||||
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Part of Western Sahara War | |||||||
Nouakchott in 2017 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Mauritania | Polisario Front | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Moktar Ould Daddah Col. Ahmed Ould Bouceif[5] Lt-Col. Mohammed Khouna Ould Heydallah[6] | El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed † | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
+400 under Ahmed Ould Bouceif | +500 (severals hundred guerrillas) | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4 killed, +10 injured[7] | 100-200 killed[8][9] |
The raid on Nouakchott in June 1976 was a significant military operation carried out by the Polisario Front, a Western Saharan guerrilla group, against the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. Led by their leader El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, the Polisario forces aimed to overthrow the regime of President Moktar Ould Daddah.
Le repérage du convoi par pur hasard du Polisario par un avion mauritanien avait annulé l'effet de surprise et a entraîné l'échec du raid.
Polisario leader dies in skirmish with Mauritania
A Polisario communique issued in Algiers said its forces launched two attacks on Nouakchott but were pushed back bu Mauritanian troops.
Col. Ahmed Ould Bouceif, quickly dispatched 400 of his men to try to beat Polisario...
Lt.-Col. Mohammed Khouna Ould Heydallah [...] intended to relieve the Nouakchott raiders...
De leur côté, les Mauritaniens ont eu quatre morts et une dizaine de blessés.
on 9 June, and hundreds of insurgents were kiled...
Cette action s'est soldée pour le Polisario, dans les jours qui suivirent, par plus de deux cents morts et presque autant de prisonniers...