The Guemmar attack was an attack by armed militants on a border post in Guemmar on 29 November 1991.[1][2] Sixty armed Islamist militants led by Aïssa Messaoudi, an Algerian Islamist who fought in the Soviet–Afghan War and had connections with Takfir wal-Hijra and the Islamic Salvation Front, attacked a border post in Guemmar, near El Oued in Algeria, killing three policemen. The Islamists (allegedly Takfir wal-Hijra[3]) were associated with the FIS-affiliated Islamist trade union.[4] This has been considered as the first act of jihad against the government and beginning of the Armed Islamic Movement, prior to the beginning of the proper Algerian Civil War.[5][6][7]
| Guemmar attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Algerian Civil War | |
| Location | Guemmar, Algeria |
| Date | 29 November 1991 |
| Deaths | 3 policemen |
| Perpetrator | Aïssa Messaoudi |
No. of participants | 60 Islamist militants |
Background
editThe weeks before the declaration by the Islamic Salvation Front saw a few violent incidents by Islamist militants. The first act of provocation happened in January 1991 when Ali Benhadj, dressed in military uniform, organized a march to the Ministry of Defense to pressure them into fighting for the Iraqi side in the Gulf War.[8] Ahmed Ben Bella frequently had his meetings disrupted by stone-throwing Islamists, and on one occasion Islamist militants attacked a residence of the FLN where Mouloud Hamrouche was holding a meeting on 1 November. These became more serious when police discovered significant caches of arms in El Oued, leading to shootout incidents with militants.[5]
Attack
editOn 29 November 1991, three small groups of 60 Islamist militants attacked a border post in Guemmar at night with heavy fire before attempting to rob the armory. It was defended by a small garrison of the 15th Border Guard Group that was surrounded by desert. Although the militants killed 3 policemen,[6] sleeping soldiers woke up and managed to repel the attackers, forcing them to flee.[1] The militants got away with around 50 weapons, as well as other arms, ammunition, and explosives.[5]
The group of attackers was composed mainly of veterans who had participated in the Soviet–Afghan War.[1] The government claimed these attacks were indications of a planned Islamist terrorist campaign against the state, and were acknowledged to have been led by Aïssa Messaoudi who the police were seeking to hunt down.[5] The Islamic Salvation Front denounced this attack and claimed it was the work of a branch of Algerian military intelligence.[9]
Aftermath
editFollowing the attack, a skirmish occurred between the Algerian army and Islamist militants on 9 December southeast of Biskra, resulting in the killing of 13 militants and 4 soldiers.[10]
On 14 January 1993, the Algerian Supreme Court sentenced 12 participants to death for involvement in the Guemmar attack, namely Aïssa Messaoudi, Lazhar Amar, Mohamed Nguia, Bechir Rezig, Ahmed Osman, Kamel Rukhe, Antar Tera, Tayeb Sennouga, Khalid Kessous, Lamine Athmania, Jamal Bou Djelkha, Belgacem Tlili and Abdelnacer Saidani.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Algérie : le jour où les "Afghans" sont rentrés". Le Point (in French). 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ Dalacoura, Katerina (2012). "Democracy as Counter-Terrorism in the Middle East: A Red Herring?". Uluslararası İlişkiler / International Relations. 8 (32): 101–114. ISSN 1304-7310. JSTOR 43926206.
- ^ Tucker-Jones, Anthony (2010-08-19). The Rise of Militant Islam: An Insider's View of the Failure to Curb Global Jihad. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84468-548-6.
- ^ McDougall, James (2017-04-24). A History of Algeria. Cambridge University Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-521-85164-0.
- ^ a b c d Willis, Michael (1 March 1999). The Islamist Challenge in Algeria: A Political History. NYU Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8147-9329-9.
- ^ a b Kepel, Gilles (2002). Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam. Harvard University Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-674-01090-1.
- ^ Harmon, Stephen A. (2016-03-09). Terror and Insurgency in the Sahara-Sahel Region: Corruption, Contraband, Jihad and the Mali War of 2012-2013. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-04605-9.
- ^ Adler, Emanuel; Bicchi, Federica; Crawford, Beverly; Sarto, Raffaella A. Del (2006-01-01). The Convergence of Civilizations: Constructing a Mediterranean Region. University of Toronto Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-8020-3804-3.
- ^ Chaliand, Gérard; Blin, Arnaud (2016-08-23). The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to ISIS. Univ of California Press. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-520-29250-5.
- ^ "17 morts dans un nouvel accrochage L'armée algérienne a anéanti le commando islamiste responsable d'une attaque dans le Sud". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1991-12-11. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ "Further information on UA 146/92 (MDE 28/02/92, 7 May) - Algeria: death penalty: Aissa Messaoudi (also known as Tayeb El Afghani), Lazhar Amar, Mohamed Nguia, Bechir Rezig, Ahmed Osman (note corrected name), Kamel Rukhe, Antar Tera (note corrected name)". Amnesty International. 1993-01-27. Retrieved 2023-07-01.