Battle of Nara (2015)
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| Battle of Nara (2015) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Mali |
 Katiba Macina | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | Abou Yehiya | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
3 killed 5 wounded | 9 killed | ||||||
On June 27, 2015, Katiba Macina militants attacked the Malian military base in Nara, Mali, and briefly captured the town. The attack was repelled by Malian forces.
The Wagadou forest in northern Mali has been a hub of jihadist activity since the beginning of the Mali War, actively hosting encampments from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, and affiliated organizations.[1] Prior to the attack at Nara, the jihadists had been infiltrating the city for several days in preparation for the attack.[2]
Battle
The battle began when shots rang out in the center of Nara around 5am on June 27.[3] Motorcycles and trucks filled with jihadists overran the city, splitting into two groups. One group headed towards the Ould Issa base, where Malian forces were stationed near the Mauritanian border, and another traversed the city.[2] Towards the Ould Issa base, the fighters chanted "Allahu akbar!", and residents stated the fighters were both light and darker skinned.[2] Fighting between Malian forces and the jihadists lasted for four hours.[2] In neighborhoods close by the base, the jihadists shot sporadically at civilian homes, and Malian soldiers nearby urged civilians to stay at home.[2]
While the jihadists controlled the city with no resistance, they were eventually pushed out by Malian soldiers at the Ould Issa base.[3] The jihadists remained in a mosque and a local health center before fleeing.[3] Malian soldiers patrolled the streets for a short while afterwards.[3]