Battle of Tabankort | |||||||
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Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Mali | Islamic State in the Greater Sahara | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
~150 |
Unknown
| ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
43 killed (per Mali and Niger) 30 killed (per ISGS) 30 injured (per ISGS) |
17 killed (per Mali) 100 apprehended (per Mali) |
On November 18, 2019, Malian troops were ambushed by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara during a patrol of Tabankort, in Ménaka Cercle, Mali.
While attempting to meet up with a contingent of Nigerien troops as part of Operation Tongo-Tongo, a reprisal operation for an ambush that left several American and Nigerian soldiers dead, a group of jihadists ambushed and overpowered a group of Malian soldiers. [1] [2] The jihadists rode on seven vehicles, several motorcycles, and two tuk-tuks stolen from a local medical center, and posed as vaccination staff members to conduct the attack. [3] [4]
Once the jihadists' disguises were exposed, a battle ensued between ISGS and the Malian troops. [5] [6] Around one hundred fifty Malian soldiers fought, with thirteen vehicles. [6] They were forced to pull back, and the group of 850 Nigerien soldiers began a combing operation in the Tabankort valley, bringing back the bodies of slain Malian soldiers. [6]
ISGS claimed responsibility for the attack on November 20. [7] [8] They also claimed that 30 Malian soldiers were killed, and thirty more were injured. [8]
The Malian army claimed on November 18 that the death toll was 24 soldiers killed and 29 injured, while seventeen jihadists were killed and over a hundred apprehended. [9] An AFP source then claimed the next day that the Malian death toll was over thirty killed. [9] The bodies of the 30 soldiers killed were interred during a military ceremony in Gao on November 20. [10] However, the bodies of thirteen other soldiers were discovered on November 21, bringing the death toll to 43 killed. [11]
Battle of Tabankort | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Mali | Islamic State in the Greater Sahara | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
~150 |
Unknown
| ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
43 killed (per Mali and Niger) 30 killed (per ISGS) 30 injured (per ISGS) |
17 killed (per Mali) 100 apprehended (per Mali) |
On November 18, 2019, Malian troops were ambushed by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara during a patrol of Tabankort, in Ménaka Cercle, Mali.
While attempting to meet up with a contingent of Nigerien troops as part of Operation Tongo-Tongo, a reprisal operation for an ambush that left several American and Nigerian soldiers dead, a group of jihadists ambushed and overpowered a group of Malian soldiers. [1] [2] The jihadists rode on seven vehicles, several motorcycles, and two tuk-tuks stolen from a local medical center, and posed as vaccination staff members to conduct the attack. [3] [4]
Once the jihadists' disguises were exposed, a battle ensued between ISGS and the Malian troops. [5] [6] Around one hundred fifty Malian soldiers fought, with thirteen vehicles. [6] They were forced to pull back, and the group of 850 Nigerien soldiers began a combing operation in the Tabankort valley, bringing back the bodies of slain Malian soldiers. [6]
ISGS claimed responsibility for the attack on November 20. [7] [8] They also claimed that 30 Malian soldiers were killed, and thirty more were injured. [8]
The Malian army claimed on November 18 that the death toll was 24 soldiers killed and 29 injured, while seventeen jihadists were killed and over a hundred apprehended. [9] An AFP source then claimed the next day that the Malian death toll was over thirty killed. [9] The bodies of the 30 soldiers killed were interred during a military ceremony in Gao on November 20. [10] However, the bodies of thirteen other soldiers were discovered on November 21, bringing the death toll to 43 killed. [11]