2003 Sahara hostage crisis

2003 Sahara hostage crisis
Part of the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
Date 19 February – 17 August 2003 Location Algerian Desert Result Algerian government victory Raid on 17 May freed 17 hostages The rest were freed on 18 August
Belligerents
Algeria	Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
Strength
1,200 troops	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	9 killed
1 hostage died from heatstroke

The 2003 Sahara hostage crisis concerns the events surrounding the abduction of 32 European tourists in seven separate groups in the Algerian Desert in 2003. They were released in two groups: one in Algeria and the other from neighbouring Mali, several months later.