Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Ain Ben Tili

Battle of Ain Ben Tili was a battle fought on 19 January 1976 at Ain Ben Tili, in what is now Mauritania; it lasted 5 days. It was part of the Western Sahara War, which ran from 1975 to 1991. The recorded result: Polisario Front victory.

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Fought19 January 1976lasted 5 days
WhereAin Ben Tili, Mauritania25.918N, 9.587W
OutcomePolisario Front victory
BelligerentsPolisario FrontagainstMauritania; Morocco
Part ofWestern Sahara War1975 to 1991

Where it sits in the Western Sahara War

Battles of La Güera and Tichla, 1975Battle of Ain Ben Tili, 1976First Battle of Amgala, 1976Second Battle of Amgala, 1976Battle of Bucraa, 1977Battle of Zouérat, 1977Battle of Tan-Tan, 1979Battle of Tichla, 1979Battle of Bir Anzarane, 1979Battle of Smara, 1979Battle of Al Mahbes, 1979Battle of Bucraa, 1979Siege of Zag, 1979Battle of Akka, 1980Battle of Cape Boujdour, 1980Battle of Gueltat Zemmour, 1980Battle of Gueltat Zemmour, 1981Battle of Smara, 1981Battle of Guelta Zemmur, 1981Smara and Bou Craa attacks, 1982Battle of Lemseied, 1983Battle of Smara, 1983Battle of Z'Moul Niran, 1984Battle of Hausa (1984), 1984Battle of Al Mahbes, 1985Battle of Farsia, 1987Battle of Tichla, 1987Battles of Farsia and Oum Dreyga, 1987Haouza attack, 1988Battle of Oum Dreyga, 1988Battle of Guelta Zemmour, 1989Battle of Hausa, 1989Battle of Amgala, 198919751989Battle of Ain Ben Tili, 1976
33 placed engagements of the Western Sahara War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date19 January 1976
to 24 January 1976
PlaceAin Ben Tili, Mauritania
25.918N, 9.587W
KindBattle, Cold War
Territorial changePolisario Front captures the Ain Ben Tili outpost
Casualties and losses480 killed; 32 soldiers captured; One F-5 shot down
Battle of Ain Ben TiliBattle of Ain Ben TiliBattles of Farsia and Oum DreygaBattle of FarsiaBattles of Farsia and Oum DreygaBattle of FarsiaBir Lehlou100 km25.918N, 9.587W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1976

Battle of Ain Ben Tili is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 7 in present-day Mauritania.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q86676633, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Ain Ben Tili (January 1976), revision 1370431163, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.