Bombardment of Ametettai
Bombardment of Ametettai | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
France | al-Mourabitoun | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Unknown | Omar Ould Hamaha † Abdelwaheb al-Harrachi † | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None | 11 killed Several injured |
- 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
- 2012 counter-coup attempt
- Djicoroni
- 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
Between March 4 and 5, 2014, French forces conducted a bombing campaign in the Ametettai mountains of Kidal Region against al-Mourabitoun. The bombings killed Omar Ould Hamaha, a prominent jihadist commander, and several other militants.
Background
During the initial days of Operation Serval, French forces launched raids against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other jihadist groups in their headquarters in the Ametettai mountains in rural Kidal Region. Chadian forces fought a major battle in the Ametettai mountains during the Battle of Ifoghas in February and March 2013. In January 2014, American-made Reaper drones bought by France were used in Mali for the first time.[1]
Bombardment
On March 4, French observation drones spotted a group of jihadists in the Ametettai valley. According to the French minister of defense Jean-Yves Le Drian, around ten militants had rocket launchers and an arms cache.[1] French fighter jets then came back to Ametettai in the late afternoon of March 4, and launched airstrikes five hours later.[2] The jihadists shot back with a single rocket attack, but it missed.[2]
A Malian army official stated eleven jihadists were killed in the bombing. A few others were injured, and were able to escape.[3][2] French intelligence stated Omar Ould Hamaha, a prominent jihadist commander, and Abdelwaheb al-Harrachi were killed in the attack.[4][5] These statements were disputed by AQIM spokesperson Abou Assem al-Moujahir, who claimed Hamaha was still alive and that the French statements were unfounded.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Mali: nouvelle opération antiterroriste de l'armée française". Le Figaro (in French). 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ a b c à 20h01, Par Le 6 mars 2014 (2014-03-06). "Mali : une dizaine de combattants d'Aqmi tués par les forces françaises". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Une dizaine de combattants d'Aqmi tués dans le nord-est du Mali". RFI (in French). 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Mali: mort d'un important jihadiste". RFI (in French). 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Plus de 40 djihadistes ont été tués dans le nord du Mali par les forces françaises". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Aqmi dément la mort d'un de ses chefs annoncée par Paris". www.rtl.fr (in French). 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2024-02-24.