Siege of Igueriben

The next Spanish base was attacked at Igueriben on July 16. Located three miles from Annual where it was quickly surrounded and cut off from Annual.^[4] The commander of the base was Major Julio Benitez. The defenses were weak and incomplete, but the Major refused to surrender, preferring to die instead. Messages were dispatched from General Navarro, second-in-command to Silvestre, encouraging the garrison fight. His men fought valiantly, but their water supplies were three miles away from Annual. As the battle raged on, and the heat striking the troops, they were forced to drink juice from used pimiento and tomato tins, then vinegar, cologne, and ink, and finally even urine with sugar in it. At Annual, they dispatched a relief column which they got close to the base where were seen by the garrison. However, the only access to the base was through a deep gorge heavily defended by the Riffians. They were repelled by machine guns and heavy artillery,^[5][6] and the relief column retreated after suffering 152 killed.^[7] Igueriben was captured on the end, and Benitez was killed alongside the majority of his men.^[8] Only 25 men out of 300 survived whom they later reached the base at Annual.^[9][10]

• José E. Álvarez (2001), The Betrothed of Death, The Spanish Foreign Legion During the Rif Rebellion, 1920–1927.
• Juan Carlos Lopez Sanz (2017), 1921 Lágrimas en los ojos del Rif.
• David S. Woolman (1968), Rebels in the Rif: Abd El Krim and the Rif Rebellion.