Battle of Imenas
Battle of Imenas | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Northern Mali conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
France Mali | Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa Al-Mulathameen | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Bruno Bert El Hadj Ag Gamou | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
400 | 100–200 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
2 injured[1][2] | 52 killed[3][4] |
- v
- t
- e
Tuareg rebellion (2012):
- 1st Ménaka
- 1st Aguelhok
- Tin-Hama
- In Emsal
- 1st Andéramboukane
- 1st Tessalit
- 1st Niafunké
- 1st Tinzaouaten
- Tinsalane
- 1st Goumakoura
- 1st Tessit
- Sudere
- 1st Kidal
- 1st Timbuktu
- 1st Gao
- 1st In-Delimane
- Tagarangabotte
- 2nd Ménaka
- Khalil
- In Arab
Foreign intervention:
- Operation Serval
- AFISMA
- Chadian military intervention
- EUTM
- MINUSMA
- Konna
- 2nd Gao
- Diabaly
- 3rd Gao
- 4th Gao
- Ifoghas
- Panther
- 5th Gao
- In Khalil
- Timetrine
- 1st Kidal attack
- Imenas
- Tin Keraten
- Tigharghâr
- 1st Djebok
- 2nd Timbuktu
- 6th Gao
- 3rd Timbuktu
- 2nd Kidal attack
- 1st Ber
- Hamakouladji
- 1st Anéfis
- 2nd Anéfis
- Fooïta
- Douaya
- 2nd Tessalit
- Amazragane
- 1st Araouane
- 3rd Kidal attack
2014
- Kondaoui
- Tamkoutat
- 1st Ametettai
- Dayet
- Inabohane and Ebahlal
- 2nd Kidal
- 2nd Aguelhok
- 3rd Anéfis
- 1st Tabankort
- 2nd Indelimane
- 2nd Ametettai
- N'Tillit
- 2nd Tabankort
2015
- 1st Nampala
- Ténenkou
- 3rd Tabankort
- Tabrichat
- Bamako restaurant
- 4th Kidal attack
- 1st Léré
- Tin Telout
- Nara
- Takoumbaout
- Sama Forest
- 1st Gourma-Rharous
- Sévaré hotel
- 4th Anéfis
- Tiébanda
- Bamako hotel
- 5th Kidal attack
- 1st Talahandak
2016
2017
- 6th Gao
- 1st Boulikessi
- 2nd Gourma-Rharous
- Foulsaré Forest
- 1st Dogofry
- 1st Serma Forest
- Bintagoungou
- Kangaba
- Inkadogotane
- 2nd Djebok
- Takellote
- 4th Timbuktu
- Tin Biden
- 3rd Indelimane
2018
- 4th In-Delimane
- Youwarou
- Soumpi
- Inaghalawass
- 2nd Araouane
- Akabar
- 5th Timbuktu
- Aklaz and Awkassa
- 1st Talataye
- Tabarde
- 1st Boni
- Inabelbel
- Soumouni
- 2nd Dogofry
- Ndaki
- 2nd Ber
- Farimake
- Tinabaw and Tabangout-Tissalatatene
- Abanguilou
2019
- Koulogon
- 2nd Serma Forest
- Taghatert and West Inekar
- 4th Aguelhok
- Elakla
- Dialloubé
- Diankabou
- 1st Dioura
- Ogossagou
- Tiésaba-Bourgou
- Guiré
- Sobane Da
- Gangafani and Yoro
- Fafa
- 2nd Boulikessi
- 5th In-Delimane
- 4th Tabankort
- 3rd Ménaka
- 1st Wagadou Forest
2020
- Dioungani
- Sokolo
- 1st Tarkint
- 1st Bamba
- 2nd Talahandak
- Bouka Weré
- Bankass
- Coup
- 1st Farabougou
- Sokoura
- 3rd Boulikessi
- Tadamakat
- Niaki
2021
- Wedding airstrike
- Boulikessi and Mondoro
- 2nd Boni
- 2nd Tessit
- 5th Aguelhok
- Coup
- 2nd Tarkint
- Karou and Ouatagouna
- Dangarous Forest
- Nokara
- Bodio
- Mopti
2022
- Archam
- Danguèrè Wotoro
- Mondoro
- Ménaka
- 2nd Andéramboukane
- 3rd Tessit
- 2nd Talataye
- Tadjalalt and Haroum
- Moura
- Hombori
- Mopti Region
- Diallassagou
- Bandiagara
2023
- Markacoungo
- Diafarabé and Koumara
- Kani Bonzon
- 5th Timbuktu
- 3rd Ber
- Tombouctou and Bamba
- Bourem
- 2nd Léré
- 2nd Dioura
- 2nd Bamba
- Kidal Region
- 4th Kidal
- 2nd Niafunké
- Labbezanga
- 2nd Farabougou
2024
- Kwala
- Douna
- 2nd Wagadou Forest
- Mourdiah
- Abeïbara
- Djiguibombo
- 2nd Tinzaouaten
The Battle of Imenas was an armed confrontation between French-Malian forces and the Jihadists terrorist groups, Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and Al-Mulathameen. The battle was a decisive Franco-Malian victory, as it resulted, according to the French and the Malian governments, in 52 Islamists being killed, with no government forces being killed.
Background and deployment
Gao was captured by French and Malian troops on 27 January 2013, about a month before this battle. However, unlike Ansar Dine and Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, which retreated to the Adrar des Ifoghas, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and Mulathamen remained in the Gao region. They tried to take back the city, in two attempted operations before, first on 10 February, and then again on 20 February, but their attacks failed. However, French and Malian forces, wished to secure the region, and fully expel the MUJAO-Mulathamen coalition from the Gao and its regions, so they began interrogating captured jihadists to learn information about the positions and the number of the jihadists.
Finally the staff of Operation Serval estimated that about 100 fighters divided into several small groups were located east of Gao, between Djebok and al-Moustarat.[5] French code-named Operation Doro was launched on 27 February, with the aim of destroying Islamist groups around Gao. The French deployed the GTIA 2, based in Gao and commanded by Colonel Bruno Bert, the leader of the 92nd Infantry Regiment. The Malian army deployed 200 soldiers under the command of Colonel-Major El Hadj Ag Gamou. The jihadist forces were mainly from MUJAO, with some possibly al-Mulathamen elements may also be involved in the clashes, as some days before, AQIM stated that the head of the Mulathamen, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, was fighting in the Gao region. After the battle, Colonel Bert estimated the Islamist fighters to number from 100 to 200 fighters.[3][6][7][8][9]
Offensive
The Franco-Malian column left the airport of Gao in the night of the 27th, with plans to approach Imenas from the north, but column was quickly spotted by Islamist scouts, who on board pickups or motorcycles monitored the movements of the column. Along the way, the French and Malians were conducting excavations in the region, but slowed by heavy fuel consumption and obsolete maps, Colonel Bert finally decided to approach Imenas from the south. On 1 March around 4 a.m., 200 French soldiers supported by 16 armored vehicles and 200 Malian soldiers approached Imenas from the south. Hidden by thick fog, they were not immediately spotted by jihadists. The fight begun half an hour later when a VBCI spotted and fired to a group of three jihadists.
Surprised, the jihadists entered their pickups and retreated from the village after a brief fight. Around 6 a.m., Imenas was surrounded by the Franco-Malian forces, as three VBCI were deployed, one of which is supported in the south-east by teams of mortar servers and snipers. The French and Malian soldiers then took control of the village and the engineers carry out searches for traps and bombs left by the Islamists. However the French intercepted a phone call, that showed them that someone had alerted the Jihadists. Meanwhile, the soldiers found nothing in the village, except a camouflaged pickup. At that time, the Gazelle and Puma helicopters arrived from Gao. After unsuccessful searches, the Malians decided to head to the forest that stretched from north-east to south-east of Imenas. Around 10:30 a.m., Tuareg soldiers on their pickups headed towards the forest, followed by some French soldiers. However, as the Franco-Malian forces arrived at the beginning of the forest, Jihadists attacked them from multiple fronts with AKs and RPGs.
The French were surprised by the attack, especially since a drone had flown over the forest for about without finding anything suspicious. The command post of Colonel Bert was also attacked, and Bert retreated under the cover of snipers, that killed three Islamists. The French then decided to abandon their positions, to take down the jihadists engaged in the shooting against the Malians with only nine snipers left behind. About fifty jihadists then rushed towards them and started to approach them undetected, but the snipers spotted them, and killed 7 of them. Some LAV-25s arrived as reinforcements and, at about 11:40 a.m., four VBCI armored vehicles captured one side of the forest. They climbed the slope at full speed and then opened fire once they reached the top while 40 soldiers came out of the tanks and engaged the Jihadists. The jihadists suffered heavy losses, but they continued their attacks. The fight ended around 5 p.m., with some skirmishes lasting until nightfall. The next day at dawn, the French and Malians captured the forest, abandoned by the jihadists.[2][4][10][11][12][13]
References
- ^ Jean-Christophe Notin, La guerre de la France au Mali, p. 510.
- ^ a b https://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/international_detail_-Au-Mali-des-combats-acharnes-sur-deux-fronts-_3637-2169409_actu.Htm [bare URL]
- ^ a b "Mali : le récit d'une bataille entre Français et djihadistes". 27 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Mali: l'opération de sécurisation des alentours de Gao se poursuit - RFI". 3 March 2013.
- ^ Jean-Christophe Notin, The war of France in Mali, p. 503-504.
- ^ Fédéric Gout, Libérez Tombouctou ! Journal de guerre au Mali, Tallandier, 2015.
- ^ Jean-Christophe Notin, The war of France in Mali, p. 508.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "MALI. "Une organisation industrielle du terrorisme"". 4 March 2013.
- ^ Jean-Christophe Notin, La guerre de la France au Mali
- ^ "Mali : retour sur l'opération Serval avec le général Barrera". defense.blogs.lavoixdunord.fr.
- ^ "Un caporal-chef du 68e RA tué au Mali, lors d'une opération à l'est de Gao". lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr.
- ^ "Détails de l'actualité : Mali : violents combats hier à 60 km de Gao". Archived from the original on 2015-07-23. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
16°18′00″N 0°43′00″E / 16.3000°N 0.7167°E / 16.3000; 0.7167