Reported drone strike in the Sahara buffer zone injures Mauritanian truck driver, kills passenger

A Mauritanian truck carrying fuel was reportedly struck by a Moroccan military drone on Tuesday after entering the buffer zone in the Sahara, killing a passenger and injuring the driver, according to a Mauritanian Hespress AR source.

The driver sustained leg injuries and was transferred to the Zouerate Hospital Center, also known locally as “Government Hospital,” after reportedly walking a considerable distance to reach help.

Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Hassan, head of the General Union of Mauritanian Prospectors, told Hespress that the truck had lost its way and crossed a few meters into the disputed area before being targeted by a Moroccan drone, according to the driver’s account.

Ould El Hassan said the truck caught fire and was completely destroyed, killing the driver’s companion. He added that the driver walked while bleeding until he found a vehicle that took him to the northern Mauritanian city of Zouerate.

He said Mauritanian administrative and local authorities had issued strict warnings the previous week urging citizens, including prospectors and livestock herders, to remain at least five to 10 kilometers away from the border.

According to Ould El Hassan, the warnings followed recent developments after the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in the Sahara (MINURSO) from the buffer zone, which he said had increased the risk of clashes between Morocco and the Polisario Front.

He added that the absence of mobile networks and radio equipment among some prospectors and herders in remote areas made it difficult to communicate the warnings, calling for field patrols and coordination among relevant authorities to improve awareness and protect civilians.

Ould El Hassan said the reported strike demonstrated what he described as intensified and continuous military surveillance of the area by Moroccan forces. He contrasted the incident with previous months, when, according to his account, strikes had mainly targeted the engines of vehicles considered suspicious.

The head of the prospectors’ union said Mauritanian artisanal mining syndicates planned to launch a field awareness campaign this week in areas where prospectors gather, including Gleib El Ghein, El Malhat and Gleibat El Foula, in coordination with administrative and security authorities in the Tiris Zemmour region.

He argued that, under the current circumstances, Moroccan forces could regard any movement in the area, particularly by vehicles, as suspicious.

Ould El Hassan urged Mauritanian citizens, prospectors and herders to remain within their country’s borders, warning that they had no interest in becoming involved in the regional dispute. He also called for stricter enforcement measures against those who ignored official warnings, including vehicle confiscation and imprisonment.