The Battle of Smara occurred between October 5 and 8, 1979, during the Western Sahara War at Smara, between the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and the Polisario Front. Both sides asserted divergent narratives of the battle.

The Polisario Front, a political movement demanding the independence of Western Sahara, initiated armed conflict with Mauritanian and Moroccan neighbors as early as 1975. This conflict arose from the Green March and the Madrid Accords, which divided the territory between the two countries. The independence fighters concentrated their efforts on the weak link of the alliance, Mauritania, until its neutralization in the conflict in 1978. In 1979, they launched a deadly offensive against Morocco, forcing it to abandon several localities in the eastern part of the territory.

Smara, a holy city and the second-largest town in Western Sahara, was of paramount importance politically and strategically. Losing this city would be a catastrophe for Morocco. Throughout the year, the city was subjected to repeated harassment, and before the battle, it was encircled with significant defenses.

The Polisario columns commenced an intensive bombardment of Moroccan positions from the night of the 5th, followed by an assault on Smara the next day. This assault penetrated the city from the southeast. The fighting was intense, at times involving hand-to-hand combat. The intervention of the Moroccan air force, using the newly acquired Mirage F1s from France, significantly altered the battle's outcome, compelling the Polisario forces to retreat.

All sources concur that this was the most violent battle since the inception of the conflict, with both parties claiming to have killed over 1,000 adversaries. In their retreat, Polisario fighters rescued over 716 Sahrawi civilians and captured 42 Moroccan prisoners.

Background

Historical Context Spain's colonization of Western Sahara started in 1884, but its legitimacy was established after the Berlin Conference. The territory was inhabited by nomadic Arab-Berber tribes that were hostile to the presence of Europeans. As early as 1885, the Moorish religious leader Ma El Aïnin called for a holy war against the French and Spanish colonizers in the region. Morocco armed and financed him in exchange for recognizing its sovereignty over Spanish Sahara and Mauritania. He led the resistance until his death on October 23, 1910, in Tiznit.

In 1912, a Franco-Spanish protectorate was swiftly established over Morocco. Spain could finally consolidate its control over the territories of Río de Oro and Seguia el-Hamra, as well as northern Morocco, Cap Juby, and the enclave of Ifni. Morocco regained its independence in 1956. The French protectorate was terminated, while the Northern zone of the Spanish protectorate was returned. From that point onward, driven by nationalists such as Allal El Fassi and his Istiqlal Party, the reconstitution of territorial integrity to establish a "Greater Morocco," which would include Mauritania, part of Mali, part of the Algerian Sahara, and Western Sahara, became a primary goal. From 1957 onwards, Morocco provided financial and military support to the National Liberation Army (ALN), which had emerged in the Rif and Middle Atlas between 1953 and 1955. The ALN initiated the Ifni War by launching attacks against the Spanish occupiers in Ifni, Cap Juby, and Western Sahara, as well as against the French in Tindouf and Mauritania. Operation Écouvillon, initiated on February 10, 1958, jointly by French and Spanish armies, ultimately vanquished the ALN fighters, who were compelled to retreat northward. In Ifni, all Spanish posts were captured by the Moroccans, except for the capital, Sidi Ifni. On April 2, 1958, an agreement was reached between the Spanish government and Morocco, resulting in the return of Cap Juby to Morocco. In 1969, Sidi Ifni was also handed over to Morocco, following United Nations resolution 2072 (1965), which called for the decolonization of Ifni and Western Sahara. However, Spain still refused to relinquish Western Sahara.

The Polisario Front, established on April 29, 1973, in Zouerate, Mauritania, initiated its inaugural actions against Spanish military installations in the Sahara. Meanwhile, Morocco, which had laid claim to Western Sahara as early as the late King Mohammed V's visit to M'Hamid El Ghizlane in 1958, continued to advocate for the Spanish withdrawal, while Mauritania also began to express interest in the territory. On October 16, 1975, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that reaffirmed the historical ties between the populations of Western Sahara and Morocco, as well as the Mauritanian entity. Nevertheless, the opinion concluded that these ties were not sufficient to prevent a self-determination referendum, deeming the notion of terra nullius inapplicable. In the days that followed, King Hassan II of Morocco initiated the Green March (November 6, 1975), an action that led to the partition of the territory between Morocco and Mauritania by the terms of the Madrid Accords on November 14. Meanwhile, under the orders of Ahmed Dlimi, the Moroccan army captured the localities of Jdiriya, Haouza, and Farsia, resulting in the first clashes between Moroccan forces and Sahrawi independence fighters.

On November 27, Moroccan troops advanced on Smara, despite opposition from the Polisario. Laâyoune was subsequently occupied by Moroccan forces on December 11. Mauritania assumed control of the southern portion of the Río de Oro. Algeria attempted to intervene directly in the conflict up until the events at Amgala in early 1976. On February 24, 1976, the Polisario proclaimed the independence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The independence fighters persisted in their harassment of the Moroccan army, but concentrated their principal attacks on the Mauritanian military, inflicting significant damage to the Mauritanian economy with persistent raids on Zouerate, the economic hub of Mauritania, throughout 1977 and 1978. The frequency of the raids increased until the overthrow of Moktar Ould Daddah's regime on July 10, 1978, by a collective that favored the Polisario, which concluded the war. The independence fighters' sole objective was now the destruction of Morocco.

Military situation for Morocco

The Houari-Boumédiène offensive, named after the late Algerian president Houari Boumédiène, a key supporter of the independence fighters, commenced on January 13, 1979, with the participation of Polisario fighters. In 1979, the attacks on Moroccan garrisons conducted by the independence fighters were particularly deadly. The fighters no longer hesitated to mobilize large numbers of troops and significant equipment for deadly assaults deep into uncontested Moroccan territory. In response to the "attacks by Morocco" in Western Sahara, the Polisario considered it their right to attack Moroccan territory.

The Battle of Tan-Tan, which involved 1,700 combatants and 200 vehicles belonging to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proved to be a significant political victory for the Polisario Front. This turn of events prompted a re-evaluation of the capabilities and strategic approach of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces among the Moroccan populace and political elite. Subsequent deadly incursions occurred in June on Assa and Tan-Tan, once again in uncontested Moroccan territory.

On August 5, 1979, Mauritania declared a unilateral ceasefire against the Polisario Front due to a military coup that had overthrown former president Moktar Ould Daddah a year earlier. The costly war had severely damaged the Mauritanian economy, leading Mauritania to abandon the southern Río de Oro, which was immediately annexed by Morocco. The Moroccan army proceeded to invest in the Southern part of the Sahara and promptly commenced the process of securing the area. However, the Polisario independence fighters were also engaged in action. On August 11, the Sahrawis initiated a significant attack with 2,500 to 3,000 fighters and 500 vehicles on Bir Anzarane. The attack was designed to provide the Polisario with access to the Río de Oro, particularly Dakhla. The Polisario forces were repelled at the cost of heavy losses on the Moroccan side. In retaliation for the annexation of the Río de Oro, the Polisario Front launched a new series of deadly attacks in uncontested Moroccan territory. The Moroccan army suffered a decisive defeat on August 24 at Lebouirate, where the base of the 3rd Armored Squadron Group was dismantled by the independence fighters, who captured a significant quantity of military equipment, including armored vehicles, and took numerous prisoners. Nearly 5,000 Polisario fighters participated in the battle. On September 16, the independence fighters launched a deadly attack on Lemgat in the vicinity of the stronghold of Zag, resulting in significant casualties among the Moroccan army.

The military situation presents a significant challenge for Morocco, which continues to face difficulties in securing its territory against incursions by the Sahrawis. The Polisario employs its mobility and familiarity with the terrain to launch rapid assaults on garrisons and towns. The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are unable to pursue the Sahrawis when they retreat to their sanctuary in Tindouf, Algeria. The Moroccan military is hindered by its dispersion across a territory that is approximately half the size of France. This reduces its capacity to engage in combat and to provide logistical support. A significant number of localities have been abandoned to the Polisario due to the continuous harassment and the difficulty of defending and supplying them. In April 1977, Farsia was liberated; in October 1977, Haouza was similarly freed; in March 1978, Bir Lahlou was liberated; in late March 1979, Tifariti was liberated; in April 1979, Amgala was liberated; and in June 1979, Jdiriya was liberated. Although these liberations did not result in a permanent occupation, they confirmed Morocco's retreat, which now controls only a few towns. On September 24, Sahrawi Defense Minister Brahim Ghali alluded to the imminence of "new and important operations," yet most observers postulated that the subsequent target would be Zag. Throughout 1979, Smara was subjected to repeated harassment. The city was the site of multiple attacks in May, as well as on July 19, and on September 4 and 5.

Importance of Smara

The city had two significant roles: strategic and political. Smara is the holy city of Western Sahara, founded by Sheikh Ma El Aïnin, a prominent figure in the region's history known for leading the holy war against the colonizers. Morocco's claim to Western Sahara is partly based on Sheikh Ma El Aïnin, who accepted the kingdom's assistance in fighting the French in exchange for recognizing its sovereignty over Western Sahara and Mauritania. The city is situated in the center of the Seguia el-Hamra province, approximately 150 km east of Laâyoune and 250 km west of the Algerian border. Smara is located at a crossroads where desert routes converge, from east to west from Tindouf to Laâyoune and from north to south from Morocco to Bir Moghreïn and Atar in Mauritania. Furthermore, Smara is situated within the "useful triangle" of Laâyoune, Smara, and Boukraa, where the Boukraa phosphate mines are located. The world's longest conveyor belt, spanning 96 km, transports phosphate production from the mines to the port of Laâyoune.

Smara, the second-largest town in Western Sahara, had a population of 8,000 before the war began. At that time, the region exhibited minimal urbanization, as most Sahrawis were nomadic. Moroccan troops, under the command of Colonel Ahmed Dlimi, invaded the city on November 27, 1975, following the Green March and the Madrid Accords, despite opposition from the Polisario.

Forces in presence

Moroccan army