Battle of Ben Guerdane

{{expand French|Bataille de Ben Gardane|date=April 2018|topic=mil}}

{{Infobox military conflict

|conflict = Battle of Ben Guerdane

|partof = the ISIL insurgency in Tunisia and the
spillover of the Libyan Civil War (2014–2020)

|image = File:Attaque de Ben Gardane-8.png

|caption = Security forces during the attack

|date = 7–9 March 2016
({{Age in months, weeks and days|year1=2016|month1=03|day1=07|year2=2016|month2=03|day2=09}})

|place = Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia

|result = Tunisian victory

|combatant1 = {{flagicon|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya
{{flagicon|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia)

|combatant2 = {{Flagicon|Tunisia}} Tunisia

{{flagicon image|شعار أركان جيش البر، تونس.svg|25px}} Tunisian Army
{{flagicon image|Écusson garde nationale, Tunisie.svg|25px}} Tunisian National Guard
{{flagicon|Tunisia}} Police Force and Customs Officials

|commander1 =Various

|commander2 ={{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Habib Essid
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Beji Caid Essebsi
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Farhat Horchani
(Minister of National Defense)
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} General Ismaïl Fathali
(Army Chief of Staff)
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Samir Naqi
(Senior police official)
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Mohamed Maali
(Head of counter-terrorism department)
{{Flagicon image|Flag of Tunisia.svg}} Colonel Abdel Atti Abdelkabir {{Executed}}{{cite web|url=https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/as-fighters-return-tunisia-faces-growing-challenge|title=As fighters return, Tunisia faces growing challenge|first=Zohra|last=Bensemra|website=The Wider Image}}{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/islamic-state-threatens-fragile-tunisia-from-next-door-in-libya/2016/05/13/cd9bd634-f82e-11e5-958d-d038dac6e718_story.html|title=Islamic State, growing stronger in Libya, sets its sights on fragile neighbor Tunisia|first=Sudarsan|last=Raghavan|date=May 13, 2016|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}
(Local anti-terror security chief)†

|strength1 = ~100 fighters{{cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-special-forces-helping-tunisian-7547173|title=British defence experts helping Tunisian army in four-day battle against ISIS|first=Dan|last=Warburton|date=March 12, 2016|website=mirror}}

|strength2 = Unknown

|casualties1 = 35–55 killed
52 captured{{cite web|url=http://www.shemsfm.net/fr/actualite/habib-essid-55-terroristes-abattus-et-52-autres-arretes-a-ben-guerdene-136363 |title=Habib Essid : 55 terroristes abattus et 52 autres arrêtés, à Ben Guerdene |publisher=Shemsfm.net |date=2020-05-15 |access-date=2020-05-20}}

|casualties2 = 13 killed
14 wounded

|casualties3 = 7 civilians killed
3 civilians wounded

|notes=† Head of counter-terrorism division assassinated in home by militants.

}}

The Battle of Ben Guerdane occurred on March 7, 2016, in the city of Ben Gardane in Tunisia on the border with Libya. Islamic State forces attempted to seize the city, but were repulsed by the Tunisian military. The clashes continued also on 8 and 9 March in the area.

The attack

Armed groups of militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya and Ansar al-Sharia began the attack on the town by grouping around and seizing the local mosque. The mosque loudspeakers were used to broadcast a message and a signal for the attack on government facilities. The Tunisian National Guard, military barracks, and police posts were simultaneously ambushed, in an attempt to take over Ben Guerdane and establish an "emirate" within Tunisia.{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/cloneoftunisia-ben-gardane-clashes-1603070709142-160307151549524.html|title=Tunisia closes border with Libya after fierce clashes|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2016-03-08}} The fighting continued between the attackers and Tunisian military and police reinforcements, until clashes ended in mid-morning, and continued pursuit operations in the vicinity lasted the rest of the day.[http://allafrica.com/stories/201603071739.html Tunisia: Military Foil Attack On Ben Guerdane Barracks, No Less Than 10 Terrorists Killed] Allafrica website, March 8, 2016

Casualties

The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Defense put the death toll at 55 armed militants, 13 security forces members and seven civilians.{{cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/09/Five-terrorists-killed-near-Tunisia-Libya-border.html|title=Two militants, Tunisian soldier killed in clashes|date=March 9, 2016|website=Al Arabiya English}}{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20160309-tunisia-terrorists-dead-raid|title=Tunisia forces kill five ‘terrorists’ after deadly IS group raid|date=March 9, 2016|website=France 24}}

Reactions

{{Flag|United Nations}}: United Nations Security Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attack. In a statement, the council considered that “any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.” It also “underlined the need to bring perpetrators... of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice,” reaffirming “the need for all States to combat” this scourge by all means.{{cite web|url=http://www.tap.info.tn/en/index.php/politics2/34124-un-security-council-strongly-condemns-terrorist-attack-in-ben-guerdane |title=TAP |publisher=TAP |access-date=2020-05-20}}