Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Al Mahbes

Battle of Al Mahbes was a battle fought on 12 January 1985 at Mahbes, in what is now Western Sahara. It was part of the Western Sahara War, which ran from 1975 to 1991.

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Fought12 January 1985
WhereMahbes, Western Sahara27.416N, 9.051W
BelligerentsPolisario FrontagainstMorocco
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 Al Mahbes, 1985
33 placed engagements of the Western Sahara War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date12 January 1985
PlaceMahbes, Western Sahara
27.416N, 9.051W
KindBattle, Cold War
Casualties and losses66 killed; 6 T-55s; 2 BMP-1s; 6 other vehicles; (Moroccan claim)25 Killed; 48 wounded; (Moroccan claim); 311 killed; 3 captured; 1 Moroccan Mirage F1 shot down; 17 tanks; 14 armoured personnel carriers; 21 other royal vehicles; (Polisario claim)
Battle of Al MahbesBattle of Al MahbesBattle of Al MahbesBattles of Farsia and Oum DreygaBattle of FarsiaBattle of Z'Moul NiranSiege of ZagBattle of Al MahbesBattles of Farsia and Oum DreygaBattle of FarsiaBattle of Z'Moul NiranSiege of ZagTindouf100 km27.416N, 9.051W
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 1985

Battle of Al Mahbes is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 5 in present-day Western Sahara.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q56305493, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Al Mahbes (1985), revision 1370106068, 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.