Battle of In-Delimane

The Battle of In-Delimane was a series of armed clashes in the area of In-Delimane in the Gao Region of Mali.

Battle of In-Delimane
Part of the Northern Mali conflict
Date12 January – 6 March 2018
(1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day)
Location
In-Delimane, Gao Region, Mali
Result

GATIA/MSA partial victory

  • Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi escaped safely
Belligerents

Al-Qaeda

 ISIL

  • Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
Commanders and leaders
El Hadj Ag Gamou Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi
Djibo Hamma †
Casualties and losses
:
unknown
:
2 killed
4 wounded		 20+ killed or captured

Timeline

On 12 January 2018, a suicide bomber blew himself up near a patrol of French soldiers in In-Delimane, wounding three soldiers. No group claimed responsibility, but ISIL was suspected.[1] About a month later on 21 February 2018, two French soldiers were killed, and a third wounded, after an IED exploded during their patrol. The Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM claimed responsibility afterwards.[2] Two days later on 23 February 2018, the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA) and the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), in collaboration with France, launched an operation to capture or kill Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the ISIL commander in Mali. Six jihadists were killed or captured while one vehicle originally belonging to the Nigerien military was recovered; however Sahrawi managed to evade capture.[3]

On 6 March 2018, a combined group of GATIA and MSA fighters fought ISIL forces in the Tinzouragan area, close to Delimane, resulting in the deaths of five jihadists, including one high level commander named Djibo Hamma. Ten other militants and vehicles were captured. On the same day, French forces fought with an unspecified group of jihadists, killing three of them.[4][5][6]

References
  1. BFMTV. "Deux soldats français tués et un autre blessé dans l'explosion d'une mine artisanale, au Mali". BFMTV.
  2. "French soldiers killed by IED in northern Mali - FDD's Long War Journal". 21 February 2018.
  3. "Tuareg militias battle Islamic State-loyal militants in northern Mali - FDD's Long War Journal". 25 February 2018.
  4. "Tuareg militias again clash with Islamic State-loyal militants in northern Mali - FDD's Long War Journal". 8 March 2018.
  5. "MENASTREAM on Twitter".
  6. "MENASTREAM on Twitter".
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