Third Battle of Gao
{{More citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Third Battle of Gao
| partof = Northern Mali conflict
| image = Gao Mali 2006.jpg
| image_size = 290
| caption = Gao in 2006
| date = 9–11 February 2013
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=02|day1=09|year1=2013|month2=02|day2=11|year2=2013}})
| result = Franco-Malian Victory
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flag|Mali}}
{{flag|France|1974}}
{{flag|Niger}}
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|ShababFlag.svg}} MOJWA
{{flagicon image|ShababFlag.svg}} Al-Mulathameen
| commander1 = {{Flagicon|Mali}} Mamadou Samaké
{{Flagicon|Mali}} El Hadj Ag Gamou
{{Flagicon|France|1974}} Bernard Barrera
| commander2 = {{Flagicon image|ShababFlag.svg}} Hamada Ould Mohamed Kheirou
| strength1 = 1,000 Malian troops
400 French troops
750 Nigerien troopsJean-Christophe Notin, La guerre de la France au Mali, p. 398.
| strength2 = 36+ terrorists
| casualties1 = 4 wounded
| casualties2 = 18 killed
20 captured
}}
{{Campaignbox Northern Mali conflict (2012–present)}}
The Third Battle of Gao was fought in the city of Gao on 9–11 February 2013, during the Northern Mali Conflict. It was a raid on the city by rebel MOJWA forces. The raiders were defeated by Malian government forces with the support of troops from France.
The battle
On Saturday, February 9, a would-be suicide bomber was shot dead in the evening before being able to detonate his explosive device.{{cite news |url=http://www.businessghana.com/portal/news/index.php?op=getNews&news_cat_id=&id=178712 |title=Mali army shoots dead would-be suicide bomber |publisher=Business Ghana |author=Ghana News Agency |author-link=Ghana News Agency |date=10 February 2013}} On Sunday, February 10, 2013 Islamic rebels with the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa launched a raid on the city, possibly from the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains. According to French General Bernard Barrera, the militants used motorcycles and pirogues via the Niger River to infiltrate the city.{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/explosion-in-gao-northern-mali-hours-after-gunbattle-329163 |title=Explosion in Gao, northern Mali, hours after gunbattle |author=Agence France-Presse |author-link=Agence France-Presse |publisher=NDTV |date=11 February 2013}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKzcnotZRWOVeRhBqQyzdCZtFYHg?docId=d4108f8f9a52459aaeff5bd2920f5b6c |title=Islamic extremists attack Malian troops in Gao |first=Krista |last=Larson |date=10 February 2013}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Fighting began around 2 PM near the central police station in downtown Gao, and later spread across the city, lasting for several hours.{{cite news |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/127767/fighting-in-central-gao |title=Heavy fighting has for the first time spread to the centre of Gao, the main city in northern Mali. |publisher=Radio New Zealand |date=10 February 2013}} French helicopters intervened to help Malian soldiers pinned down by the rebels.{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQDMEI1xACg |title=Mali: Islamists launch surprise attack on Gao |author=International Business Times |author-link=International Business Times |date=11 February 2013 |publisher=YouTube}} Malian gendarme Colonel Saliou Maiga told Reuters the insurgents intended to carry out suicide attacks in the town.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE91902V20130210 |title=Gunbattle rocks Gao after rebels surprise French, Malians |work=Reuters |first=David |last=Lewis |date=10 February 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0xnqkS_d8 |title=Clashes break out in key Mali city |author=Al Jazeera English |author-link=Al Jazeera English |publisher=YouTube |date=10 February 2013}}
Malian soldiers counter-attacked and began shooting at the Islamists' position. Other Islamists hidden in surrounding buildings opened fire. French soldiers then arrived as reinforcements. The fighting around the police station stopped in the middle of the afternoon, but then continued near the governor's house. According to Malian Lieutenant-Colonel Mamadou Samaké "Islamist infiltrators in the city had been greatly reduced, there are many Islamists killed."
French troops stationed in the Korogoussou Gao International Airport which numbered around 900 men strong, were involved in the late afternoon, including an armored column which was sent to evacuate a dozen journalists trapped on Sharia Square (Independence Square).
The fighting was interrupted by dusk, but the next morning at 5:00, a French helicopter bombed and destroyed the Gao police station, thus ending the battle.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Also, 6 civilians killed, and 11 to 15 injured during the battle.{{cite web | url=http://www.malijet.com/en-direct-du-front/64617-le-bilan-du-combat-a-gao-18-jihadistes-tues-une-vingtaine-arrete.html | title=Malijet le bilan du combat à Gao : 18 jihadistes tués, une vingtaine arrêtés, 6 civils morts et 4 militaires blessés Bamako Mali }}{{cite web |url=http://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/francais-et-maliens-renforcent-leurs-positions-a-gao-810987 |title=Français et Maliens renforcent leurs positions à Gao - Capital.fr |website=www.capital.fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303105731/http://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/francais-et-maliens-renforcent-leurs-positions-a-gao-810987 |archive-date=2018-03-03}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gao, Battle of 3}}
Category:Battles of the Mali War in 2013
Category:Battles of the Mali War involving France
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Category:Battles of the Mali War involving Mali
Category:Battles involving Niger