The Battle of Andéramboukane occurred between 4 and 5 June 2022, during the Ménaka offensive of the Mali War. The pro-government militias Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) and Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA) attempted to retake the Islamic State-held town of Andéramboukane but were unsuccessful.
| Battle of Andéramboukane | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 GATIA MSA Mali |
 Islamic State in the Greater Sahara | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Moussa Ag AcharatoumaneEl Hadj Ag GamouSidi Ghaly |
Abu al-Bara al-Sahrawi | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
20 (per GATIA)[1] 67 (per ISGS) |
70 (per MSA) 100 (per GATIA) | ||||||
Background
editIn March 2022, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) launched an offensive in the Ménaka Region of eastern Mali, held predominantly by pro-government Tuareg militias.[2] By April, ISGS fighters had killed 300 to 500 civilians in Ménaka region, mainly Tuaregs.[3] ISGS captured Andéramboukane on March 12, and the town, previously populated by around 20,000 residents, became a "ghost town."[4][5][6]
By May, the ISGS offensive had stalled, although they still controlled a swath of territory by the Malian border, including Andéramboukane and the surrounding towns of Infoukeraten, Tadjalalt, Ichinanane, and Tamalat.[7] Around the end of May, ISGS went on the offensive again, attacking the towns of Aghazraghen Igadou, Emis-Emis, and Inekar, east of the regional capital of Ménaka.[6][7] These attacks failed, and prompted GATIA and the MSA to prepare for a counter-attack on Andéramboukane.[8][9]
Prior to the Tuareg offensive, the Malian Army had been relatively inactive in the region, with only a mainly-Tuareg group called GTIA 8 being present in the area. GTIA 8 was commanded by El Hadj Ag Gamou, the overall commander of GATIA, and many GTIA 8 troops had close ties with GATIA.[6][8]
Battle
editOn June 4, GATIA and MSA forces entered Andéramboukane without a fight, capturing the city.[7][8] However, France24 alleged the jihadists knew about the Tuareg incursion beforehand, and let them enter the city.[9] The next morning, ISGS began a counter-attack on the town.[6] GATIA and the MSA left the city to pursue the IS fighters, but were ambushed in Tadjalalt, suffering heavy losses and being forced to retreat to Ménaka.[8][9] After several hours of fighting with remaining Tuareg forces in the center of Andéramboukane, ISGS regained control of the city.[7]
Losses and aftermath
editThe exact death toll is unknown.[4] Fahad Ag al-Mahmoud, the secretary-general of GATIA, claimed twenty "friendly" fighters were killed, and a hundred jihadists were killed.[8] Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, the leader of the MSA, alleged on June 9 that 70 ISGS fighters were killed during the fighting.[10] Both Moussa Ag Acharatoumane and El Hadj Ag Gamous denied claims they were injured, although Sidi Ghaly, a Tuareg commander during the battle, was wounded.[8]
The Islamic State reported 67 Tuareg soldiers were killed, eight vehicles captured, and seventeen destroyed.[8] On June 22, the Islamic State released a large graphic photo report showing the bodies of more than 45 Tuareg soldiers alongside captured and destroyed vehicles, and a large quantity of captured weapons and ammunition.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "A la frontière Mali-Niger, l'Etat islamique repousse une alliance de milices loyalistes". liberation.fr (in French). 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ "Plusieurs dizaines de combattants et de civils tués dans le nord du Mali". France 24 (in French). 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ "Mali : les raisons de l'offensive de l'EIGS dans la région de Ménaka – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ a b "Au Mali, affrontements meurtriers entre djihadistes et Touaregs". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ "Mali : le Gatia dénonce le silence des autorités face aux massacres de civils". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ a b c d "Mali: violents combats contre le groupe jihadiste EIGS à Anderamboukane". RFI (in French). 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ a b c d Mali : tensions politiques à Bamako et échec d'une opération contre le groupe État islamique. FRANCE 24. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f g Macé, Célian. "A la frontière Mali-Niger, l'Etat islamique repousse une alliance de milices loyalistes". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ a b c "Sahel : le groupe État islamique multiplie les attaques à la frontière Mali-Niger". France 24 (in French). 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ Nasr, Wassim [@SimNasr] (9 June 2022). "Selon @Mossa_ag #MSA « l'#EI #Sahel a perdu pas moins de 70 combattants dans la bataille » #Andaramboukane #Ménaka https://t.co/RrbwpiBqmw" [According to @Mossa_ag #MSA "#IS #Sahel lost no less than 70 fighters in the battle" #Andaramboukane #Ménaka] (Tweet) (in French). Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via Twitter.