Islamist activity in the Sahara in relation to travel security

[priffe]

Hopefully nothing and we can go back to visit like before.

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BelMoktar&src=hash

Amazing, if true. In one week, the Tchadians put the Malian and Algerian armies to shame, and the touaregs who could not overcome their inner division and finish off the jihadists.

[Chris Scott]

The Chad press service seems to be falling over itself to get the big news out while the French coolly ‘cannot yet confirm’.

I wonder whether, rather shrewdly, the French arranged it so the Chadians got to do the gritty, frontline ‘Tora Bora’ work** while letting them have the glory when it went well.
a. because the Chadians (presumably hardcore Tubu) are well up for a fight while being better trained and equipped than the Malian army (or so we’re told).
and
b. because, as these headlines of 'Chadians get ABZ/MBM' catch on, it makes it look less like the French (‘ex-colonial power/imperial western aggressor’ etc) went in there and cleaned up, even though you’d imagine they were right there ‘softening up’ the battleground from the air in advance.

So it looks more like the ideal scenario: fellow African nation sorting out an African problem.
(Let's not forget how it ended for El Para and his crew in the Tibesti in 2004.)

Ch

PS: a day later: 'This is the eighth time' – caution greets reports of Mokhtar Belmokhtar's death - Africa - World - The Independent

** Actually, from what I read a few days later, the French were as involved in the ground assault in Ametetati as the Chadians.

[priffe]

Another possibility is that hostages, who usually are kept close at hand, have been hurt in the campaign and the French would rather let the Chadians claim it.
From Chadian reports they have soon overrun the Tigarghar.
Then what?

[Fastship]

I would suggest that this area is dangerous for travellers now and for a long time to come; From a French military source, some with family in the FFL in this place who report that the famous 2nd REP are doing a "full tour" of the country!

The Chadian army are by all accounts, extremely good soldiers but will steal anything and everything they can from the French army!


All the communications on the ongoing operations is strictly controlled by the French Army Staff, but it's the most detailed I've read so far. The author, Jean Guisnel, is one of the few journalists having real insight into military matters. I put up a rough English translation below :

Mali: Third French soldier killed in “fierce combats”
By Jean Guisnel
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The French have been shocked by the resistance of the jihadists, who are waging a guerrilla war in the Adrar des Ifoghas, mountainous region in north-eastern Mali. A third French soldier from the 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes was killed Saturday evening, the Élysée Palace said Sunday in a statement. Around 1800 hours, while he was storming with his platoon a jihadist position, this paratrooper was hit by enemy fire a weapon, said the Army Staff. During the day of Saturday, the French killed 15 jihadists destroyed three pickups and collected large stocks of ammunition. They also found numerous weapons "heavy", ie mortars and 14.5 mm machine guns.

A castle
The Adrar des Ifoghas is much better defended than what could be expected from assumed aerial and satellite observations. French soldiers have been faced with extremely well prepared positions, with pick-up mounted 14.5 mm Russian machine-guns protected - including against air strikes - by important embankments, behind which they hide. As behind the walls of a castle. As a result these positions are hard won, and the fights are "bitter," according a military source. Another amazement is that the jihadists not only to defend, but attack their assailants courageously with simple infantry weapons. An entrenched French position has been the object of an assault, easily pushed back without doubt, which left no survivor among the attackers! This overlap between fighting units prevents the French to deploy all their firepower. For this officer knowing the current conditions of the fighting, it is striking to see that the jihadists don't attempt to flee the war zone. Instead, says the military source: “We do not know if they defend anything but their sanctuary, but they fight! They vowed not to let anybody get into their place, and yet we will do it... and if they want to die for it, we will help them!”

2,000 men engaged
Two thousand men are engaged in the take of the Adrar des Ifoghas, including a battalion of 800 Chadian elite soldiers belonging to Chadian FATIM/ICAFIM (Forces Armées Tchadiennes d'Intervention au Mali / Intervention Chadian Armed Forces In Mali), commanded by the son of President Idriss Deby, and 1,200 French soldiers. These fall into two units: the 3e GTIA/JTBG (Groupement Tactique Interarmes / Joint Tactical Battle Group), formed around elements of the 1st RIMa (Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine), and the GTIA-TAP/JATBG (Groupement Tactique Interarmes-Troupes Aéroportées / Joint Airborne Tactical Battle Group) whose frame is provided by the 2nd REP. Elements of COS/SOC (Commandement des Opérations Spéciales / Special Operations Command) are also present locally, in an indeterminate number, but quite low. The command post of the ‘Brigade Serval’ is installed in Tessalit, where are also based staffs of JTBG 3, JATGB and ICAFIM. Medical teams belonging to a forward surgical unit are also in Tessalit, as well as SGAM/AMSG (Sous-Groupement Aéromobile/AirMobile Sub Group), a SGL/LSG (Sous-Groupement Logistique / Logistical Sub-Group) and a platoon of the Malian army.


A ‘Wasps' Nest’
The military intelligence services, but also all the international intelligence community, believe that the ‘boiler’ of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is installed in the Adrar des Ifoghas. According to our information, the operations began on 18.Feb with a complete closure of an area of ​​625 sq.km in the Adrar des Ifoghas by French and Chadian elements, probably supported in the north by the Algerian army blocking the border with Mali, all pick-up seeking to leave the area being systematically hit. According to our information, very incomplete, two mighty columns, one French the other Chadian, penetrated by different routes into the massif, these two elements benefiting from support provided by French aircrafts.

In contact with the ground troops, the Air Force aircrafts and Tiger helicopters of the Army Light Aviation provide CAS (Close Air Support), while ‘strategic’ strikes are delivered in depth by jet fighters out of reach of ground forces. On the evening of Saturday, 2.Mar the French and Chadian troops, progressing on different ways made their junction in an area considered the heart of the implementation of AQIM. “We are in the wasps' nest, where we wanted to go. Striking the terrorists at heart, this is a tremendous blow against the enemies of France”, said a source close to Paris intelligence.

Operation Serval - video from the French Armee de Terre:
Opération Serval, prise à parti dans la région de l'Adrar le 26 février 2013 - YouTube

[priffe]

Thank you Fastship
the French Forces own Youtube channel
Armée Française (chaîne officielle) - YouTube

there are no journalists allowed in the area
But there is a Chadian journalist reporting
https://twitter.com/nassergarboa
Now the Chadians are backstepping on MBM's death
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/wo...=tw-share&_r=0
and an Aqmi member says MBM is near Gao

[priffe]

Confusion still
SCOOP. Guerre au Mali : La photo de Mokhtar Belmokhtar, mort ! | Allain Jules
Abou Zeid. La photo qui confirme sa mort - ParisMatch.com
as Idriss Deby Tchadian president confirms the death of both emirs
Tchad : Idriss Déby Itno confirme la mort d'Abou Zeid et de Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Pic taken by Nasser Garboa
but is it MBM or Abou Zeid?
Mali : Abou Zeid et Mokhtar Belmokhtar, une photo pour deux cadavres?

I fear MBM is still around.

[Chris Scott]

I think they are getting their ABZ and MBM mixed up, though the grizzly Paris Match images look more like ABZ to me. Unlikely the two would be at the same place at the same time (assuming we're talking about one battle).

Fyi, I located this 'Ametetai valley' that many reports mention as the location of the battle. According to IGN the well is around here. There are more images here where for once in the Sahara, Bing (link above) is far superior than Google and posibly newer.

Video here from Chad TV. thanks for passing it on
Detailed report of the events (Le Monde)

Ch

[priffe]

Now Iyad is said to have been killed in Tigharghar
http://www.malijet.com/en-direct-du-...hali-mort.html

also
LA VOIE DE L’EPEE: La victoire du Tigharghâr

[priffe]

The hostage negotiator's perspective
Sahel: Moustapha Limam Chafi, les secrets d'un sauveur d'otages - L'EXPRESS
on the differences between MBM and AZ

Also: the current French Foreign Office travel advisory

"The number of restrictions have exploded in recent years". Benin president is pissed.
Terrorisme : l'Afrique dans le rouge

[priffe]

Interesting on Libya and MBMs connections. He no longer needs Aqmi or Droukdel. Or Mali.
Terrorisme : la poudrière libyenne
hope you read French - if you use google chrome, you get automatic translation


Thus the urgenzy of the US drone base in Agadez.

[Chris Scott]

Report and video here from an Ifoghas front line a couple of days ago - with talk of holding back [air strikes] in case hostages are close.

[Richard Washington]

Its ominously quiet news-wise from Mali for the moment. I wonder if there are hostage exchange discussions going on.....

[Richard Washington]

or if AQIM have cleared off to SW Libya and NE Niger.

[Yves]

The media are quiet, however serious combat is continuing, now in the Hàdes valley. MBM may have moved in time to Libya.

http://www.opex360.com/2013/03/19/ma...region-de-gao/

Originally Posted by Richard Washington

Its ominously quiet news-wise from Mali for the moment. I wonder if there are hostage exchange discussions going on.....

All best, Yves

[Chris Scott]

I think any discussion opportunities dried up once 4000 Frenchies touched down and headed north. Plus sounds like these guys would sooner die fighting. You do wonder if the fate of the hostages might be secondary to the greater plan. Not unlike In Amenas.
Ametetai was too good publicity to miss; now they are back on to the slog.

Another French soldier died on Sunday and this recent report claims AQIM are inviting like-minded youths from the Maghreb to come and join the cause. And here it's reported that Ag Ghali himself is leading the fight in the Ifoghas.

Fyi, ‘Djebok’ mentioned in the article is only 40km east of Gao.
Next to In Kak and near Imenas (also mentioned), bottom left of this map or see below. Close to Keraten too, where there was a battle a few days after Ametetai.

‘Hades’ could be the next valley below Ametetai. Lots of well used tracks link the two valleys.