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Battle of Bassikounou
Part of Insurgency in the Sahel
Mauritanian pickup in Bassikounou, July 2011
Date July 5, 2011 Location near Bassikounou, Mauritania Result Mauritanian victory
Belligerents
Mauritania	AQIM
Casualties and losses
3–4 injured	15–20 killed (per military and medical sources) 9 captured 6 killed (per Mauritanian Army) 2 killed (per AQIM)

On July 5, 2011, clashes broke out between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Mauritanian forces in Bassikounou, Mauritania.

Background

Between 2005 and 2011, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) had a stronghold in the Wagadou forest on the border between Mali and Mauritania. On June 24, 2011, Malian and Mauritanian forces launched an offensive on AQIM in the forest to finally dislodge the group, killing several jihadists.

Battle

According to a resident of Bassikounou, occupants of a car on the way to Vasaala raised the alarm about an imminent jihadist incursion. The car was stopped by an AQIM checkpoint about ten kilometers outside of the city but were released. Mauritanian soldiers were then dispatched to confront the checkpoint. Clashes broke out between the two groups at 4pm. They exchanged artillery and heavy weapons fire for an hour, with the jihadists withdrawing before Mauritanian airpower arrived. Mauritanian forces set out in pursuit of the jihadists, with the air force shooting several jihadists.

Fighting ended around 7pm, with a city official stating he saw three vehicles destroyed. In a statement, AQIM stated that the attack was in retaliation for the raid on Wagadou.

Aftermath

The Mauritanian Army announced in a press release that six jihadists were killed. The release clarified that "around 4:30pm, an enemy column made up of over 20 vehicles was surrounded by heavy fire from our units. Six fighters were killed during the clash; one left on the battlefield, two burned in their vehicle, and three others near Gataa El Gam. There are strong indications a large number of terrorists were injured. Alhamdulillah, no material or human losses were in our ranks."

A local official in Bassikounou stated fifteen jihadists were killed, nine were taken prisoner, and two vehicles were destroyed. The same source stated that three Mauritanian soldiers were injured. AQIM claimed only two deaths within their ranks, and that none of their men were captured. A military source contacted by AFP stated that twenty jihadists were killed, and four soldiers were injured.

In a 2017 interview, General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani stated that at Bassikounou, the Algerian emir of AQIM was killed, and the battle also marked the first time that AQIM left their dead on the ground.

References

1. "AQMI donne son bilan des derniers affrontements avec l'armée mauritanienne - Afriquinfos". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
2. "Adrar: Combats a Bassikounou: 15 membres d'AQMI ont ete tues, selon l'armee". Adrar Info.
3. ^ "Aqmi a attaqué une base militaire en Mauritanie". RFI (in French). 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
4. Naude, Pierre-Francois (July 5, 2011). "Raid au Mali : Aqmi donne un bilan d'au moins 20 morts côté mauritanien". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
5. "AQIM attaque une base militaire mauritanienne". Afriquinfos. July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
6. "Armée Nationale Mauritanienne - Lutte antiterroriste". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
7. "Attaque de Bassiknou/version d'AQMI". Organization of Human Rights of Mauritania. July 12, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
8. "Al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique attaque une base de l'armée dans le sud du pays". France 24 (in French). 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
9. Faujas, Alain (November 15, 2017). "Mauritanie : la renaissance d'une armée". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved March 25, 2024.

• Battles involving Mauritania
• Battles in 2011
• July 2011 events in Africa
• 2011 in Mauritania