Second Battle of Gao

Overview

The Second Battle of Gao was the recapture of the city of Gao from Islamist MOJWA fighters by Malian/French forces. It took place in January 2013 within the Northern Mali Conflict.

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

Significance

The Second Battle of Gao marked the recapture of Gao from Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) fighters by Malian and French forces in January 2013. The operation was part of the broader French-led intervention that began in early 2013 to reverse Islamist territorial control across northern Mali. Retaking Gao, a strategically significant northern city, denied MOJWA a key urban base and extended the momentum of the intervention into the northeast of the country following other recaptures earlier that month.

Forces & casualties