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BATTLE // September 17, 1961

Battle of Djbel Bouk'hil

Overview

The Battle of Djebel Bouk'hil was a major fight in the Algerian War in 1961 when the French intercepted a meeting between FLN commanders, then Besieging the Mountain.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Djebel Bouk'hil occurred in September 1961, during the final years of the Algerian War, when France committed a force of 12,000 troops to intercept an FLN command gathering at the mountain. The operation targeted FLN commanders, including Mohamed Chabani, reflecting French efforts to decapitate insurgent leadership through large-scale cordon operations as political negotiations over Algerian independence were intensifying. The scale of the French deployment underscores the continued operational priority placed on neutralizing FLN command structures even as the war moved toward its eventual political resolution.

Tactics

French forces intercepted a meeting between FLN commanders and then the mountain, using the interception as the trigger for an operation. Beyond the initial interception and the subsequent siege of the mountain terrain, the overview does not supply further tactical detail.

Forces & casualties

Troop strength

  • France12,000
    medium

Commanders (1)

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Last verified June 2026
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