ORDER OF BATTLE // March 20, 2013
Battle of Timbuktu
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 250–2,100 estimated
Mali
150–2,000
Medium-confidence figure
AQMI
100
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Timbuktu was part of the broader French-led intervention in Mali that began in January 2013, in which Malian government forces, backed by French military support, moved to retake northern cities held by Islamist groups. Timbuktu had been under Islamist control since 2012, when armed groups including AQIM seized large portions of northern Mali. The engagement at Timbuktu formed one element of the campaign to restore Malian government authority over the north.
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