Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Mirbat

Battle of Mirbat was a battle fought on 19 July 1972 at Mirbat, in what is now Oman. It was part of the Dhofar Rebellion, which ran from 1963 to 1976. The recorded result: British–Omani victory.

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Mirbat Castle, site of the Battle of Mirbat, in Dhofar, Oman.
Mirbat Castle, site of the Battle of Mirbat, in Dhofar, Oman.. 9591353082 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought19 July 1972
WhereMirbat, Oman16.992N, 54.692E
OutcomeBritish–Omani victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; OmanagainstPopular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf (PFLOAG)
Casualties and losses2 SAS soldiers killed; 2 Gendarmes killed; 1 jet damagedand38 - 80 killed; 12 captured
Part ofDhofar Rebellion1963 to 1976

Record

Date19 July 1972
PlaceMirbat, Oman
16.992N, 54.692E
KindBattle, Cold War
Strength10 British soldiers (9 SAS, 1 Int Corps); 25 men from Omani Gendarmerie; 30 Balochi Askari; 60 soldiers of a local firqat; 12 BAC Strikemaster light attack jets; 21 SAS reinforcements; 3 helicopters200–300 guerrillas
Casualties and losses2 SAS soldiers killed; 2 Gendarmes killed; 1 jet damaged38 - 80 killed; 12 captured
Commanders
  • Mike Kealy
Battle of MirbatBattle of MirbatSalalah100 km16.992N, 54.692E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Elsewhere in 1972

Battle of Mirbat is one of 1,912 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 3 in present-day Oman.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2889338, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Mirbat, revision 1377622210, 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.