First Battle of Amgala

Overview

The First Battle of Amgala was fought between 27 and 29 January 1976 around the oasis of Amgala, Western Sahara, about 260 kilometres (160 mi) west of the border with Algeria. Units from the Algerian Army were attacked by units from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces on the night of 27 January. The Algerians withdrew after fighting for 36 hours. However, the retaliation came fairly soon, between 13 and 15 February 1976 Polisario units defeated Moroccan troops in the second Battle of Amgala.

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

Significance

The First Battle of Amgala marked a direct armed clash between Algerian Army units and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces at the oasis of Amgala, roughly 260 kilometres west of the Algerian border. The engagement drew Algeria into open hostilities with Morocco in the early weeks of the Western Sahara War, transforming what had been proxy and political competition into a confrontation between the two state militaries. After approximately 36 hours of fighting, the Algerian force of around 400 personnel withdrew, sustaining between 106 and 200 casualties. The battle did not end the contest at Amgala: Moroccan and Algerian forces clashed again at the same location within weeks, and in the Second Battle of Amgala in February 1976 Polisario units defeated Moroccan troops, indicating that the first engagement settled little on the ground. The episode sharpened hostility between Rabat and Algiers and underlined Algeria's material stake in the conflict beyond its declared support for the Polisario Front.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)