In October 2014, a convoy from al-Mourabitoun left Libya and headed towards Mali through Niger.[2] The jihadists traveled on six vehicles loaded with weapons.[1][2] The convoy had already been spotted by French and Nigerien forces supported by American intelligence.[3] On the evening of October 9, 2014, French forces attacked the convoy as it reached the gold mining region outside of Tchibarakaten in rural Azawagh, Niger.[4] A French plane bombed the head of the column, destroying two vehicles.[2] The remaining four vehicles tried to flee, but French special forces in helicopters shot at the fleeing jihadists.[2] The rest of the convoy was destroyed.[5]
The French Ministry of Defense estimated initially that all fifteen militants were killed or injured, but later revised this to thirteen killed and two jihadists taken prisoner.[2] Only one jihadist was able to escape.[2] Abou Aasam El Mouhajir, the spokesman for al-Mourabitoun, was one of the jihadists taken prisoner.[4] The French Ministry of Defense did not state any losses on their side.[2][6] Three tons of weapons were destroyed in the ambush, including anti-tank rockets and SA-7 missiles. The ambush was the largest seizure of weapons from jihadists during the Mali War since January 2013.[2]