Attack on Lebouirate
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Attack on Lebouirate
| place = Lebouirate, Morocco
| partof = Western Sahara War
| result = Decisive Polisario Front victory{{Cite journal |last=Hottinger |first=Arnold |date=1980 |title=La lutte pour le Sahara occidental |url=https://www.persee.fr/renderPage/polit_0032-342x_1980_num_45_1_2964/polit_0032-342X_1980_num_45_1_T1_0175_0000_710.jpg |journal=Politique étrangère |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=167–180 |doi=10.3406/polit.1980.2964 |quote=Le plus important fut la défaite marocaine de Lebouiraite...}}{{Cite news |date=1979-09-19 |title=UNE VISITE A L'ANCIENNE PLACE FORTE DE LEBOUIRATE CONFIRME L'AMPLEUR DE LA DÉFAITE MAROCAINE |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1979/09/19/une-visite-a-l-ancienne-place-forte-de-lebouirate-confirme-l-ampleur-de-la-defaite-marocaine_2785465_1819218.html |access-date=2023-07-17}}
| combatant1 = {{tree list}}
- {{flag|Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic}}
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg}} Polisario Front
{{tree list/end}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|Morocco}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|SADR}} Lahbib Ayoub
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Morocco}} Mohamed Azelmat{{Surrendered}}{{harv|Affairs|1980|p=51}} "Squadron Leader Azelmat, commanding the garrison of Lebouirate"
| date = 24 August 1979
| casualties2 = {{flagicon|Morocco}} 92–230 killed{{Cite news |title=Sahara occidental : sanglants combats |work=L'Express |url=https://doc.rero.ch/record/67544/files/1979-08-14.pdf |quote=Selon le Front Polisario, de lourdes pertes auraient été infligées aux Marocains : 92 morts...}}{{Cite news |date=1979-08-28 |title=Un combat très meurtrier s'est déroulé le 24 août dans le sud du territoire internationalement reconnu du Maroc Rabat admet que la garnison de Lebouirate a été investie |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1979/08/28/un-combat-tres-meurtrier-s-est-deroule-le-24-aout-dans-le-sud-du-territoire-internationalement-reconnu-du-maroc-rabat-admet-que-la-garnison-de-lebouirate-a-ete-investie_3053250_1819218.html |access-date=2023-07-17 |quote=sahraoui avait d'abord fait état, à Alger, de deux cent trente Marocains tués dans la colonne envoyée en renfort.}}
- 12 servicemen captured.
- a hundred armored vehicles, fifty-seven military vehicles and numerous guns were seized.
| casualties1 = {{flagicon|SADR}} Sixty-six Sahrawi citizens were released
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Western Sahara War}}
| strength1 = {{flagicon|SADR}} 150{{Cite web |title=BAnQ numérique |url=http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/ |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=numerique.banq.qc.ca |language=fr}}
| strength2 = {{flagicon|Morocco}} 600–780{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Sitbon |date= |title=La vérité sur la guerre du désert |work=L'Obs |url=http://referentiel.nouvelobs.com/archives_pdf/OBS0773_19790903/OBS0773_19790903_032.pdf}}
}}
The Attack on Lebouirate was a significant military engagement that took place during the ongoing Western Sahara conflict between the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front.
Attack
The Moroccan communiqué reported that the attack on Lebouirate was executed by Polisario guerrilla forces, who caught the garrison commander off guard. The commander abandoned his position, allowing the enemy to seize control of the attacked locality, which they held throughout August 24. The Moroccan troops suffered a serious defeat as a large number of defenders at the base were massacred during the attack.{{Cite news |date=1979-08-27 |title=Morocco Admits Fall of Garrison |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/27/archives/morocco-admits-fall-of-garrison.html |access-date=2023-07-17 |issn=0362-4331}}
Two days after the incident, the Moroccan ministry of information officially admitted the fall of the Lebouirate base. Squadron Leader Azelmat, who commanded the garrison, was criticized for failing to offer adequate resistance to the attacking Polisario forces. The lack of opposition resulted in the abandonment of defensive positions and the loss of a significant amount of military equipment.
Notes and references
Books
- {{Cite book |last=Affairs |first=United States Congress House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Security and Scientific |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rMyk0wurzY4C&dq=Lebouirate&pg=PA52 |title=Proposed Arms Sale to Morocco: Hearings Before the Subcommittees on International Security and Scientific Affairs and on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, Second Session, January 24 and 29, 1980 |date=1980 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuTgpPiQw0 "SAHARA OCCIDENTAL: La débâcle Militaire Marocaine à Lebouirate du 24 Août 1979."]
{{coord missing|Morocco}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebouirate attack}}
Category:1979 in Western Sahara
Category:Battles involving Morocco
Category:Western Sahara conflict
Category:Attacks on military installations in 1979
Category:Battles involving Polisario Front