Battle of Tin Keraten

Overview

On March 6, 2013, French and Malian forces took control of the Wadi Tin Keraten area, located 100 km east of Gao and northeast of Imenas. When Malian soldiers got near Tin Keraten, they were attacked by Islamists from MOJWA. French ground troops arrived supported by Tiger helicopters and Gazelles along with some warplanes. Four Malian soldiers were wounded during the battle and a French soldier, sergeant Wilfried Pingaud of the 68th Artillery Regiment in Africa, was mortally wounded. He was transported to Gao, where he died of his wounds. The Islamists lost about ten men according to French reports.

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

Significance

The engagement at Tin Keraten extended French and Malian operational reach 100 km east of Gao, bringing the Wadi Tin Keraten area under government control. The battle demonstrated that MOJWA retained the capacity to contest advances in the region northeast of Imenas, ambushing Malian troops as they approached the area. French intervention stabilized the situation and secured the objective, though at cost: a French sergeant of the 68th Artillery Regiment in Africa died of wounds sustained in the fighting, one of the named French fatalities of the Mali War. The result reflected the broader pattern of Operation Serval, in which French forces provided close support to Malian units advancing into contested desert territory held by Islamist armed groups.

Tactics

Forces & casualties