A missile attack on civilians commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Green March shook the town of Mahbes in the Moroccan Sahara on Saturday.
The assault, attributed to armed factions of the Polisario Front, launched at least four projectiles near the site of the ceremony in the Assa-Zag region, though no civilian casualties were reported.
The attack occurred as a large group of Sahrawi civilians gathered to mark the historic 1975 Green March, which led to Morocco’s claim over the territory.
According to Moroccan military sources, the missiles were fired from four off-road vehicles coming from the eastern side of the Moroccan berm wall, a region controlled by the Polisario separatist militia.
Despite the proximity of the attack to the civilian gathering, there were no reported fatalities. The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) responded swiftly, deploying a drone to track and eliminate the attackers. Among those neutralized in the operation was a senior leader in the Polisario’s sixth military region.
In a statement released by the Polisario leadership, the group claimed responsibility for the missile strike but denied targeting civilians, instead asserting that the attack was aimed at the Moroccan military positions in Mahbes.
The fallout from the strike was widely condemned, and images from the scene showed participants in the ceremony quickly recovering from the brief panic, defiantly chanting slogans like “The Sahara is ours” and “One King, Mohammed VI.”
This latest attack follows a similar incident on October 28-29, 2024, in the city of Es-Semara, where the Polisario targeted civilian areas, resulting in one death and multiple injuries.
Analysts suggest that the recent wave of attacks, particularly against civilians, marks a shift in tactics by the Polisario, which appears to be increasingly targeting non-military sites as a means of exerting pressure on Morocco.
These recent assaults come after the Polisario Front unilaterally declared the end of a 1991 ceasefire with Morocco, escalating tensions in the region.
The timing of the attack has drawn international attention, coinciding with the United Nations Security Council’s recent resolution 2756, which was adopted on October 31, 2024.
The resolution expressed “deep concern” over the violation of the ceasefire and called on both Algeria and the Polisario to cease actions that could derail the political process aimed at resolving the conflict. The Security Council also reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the region, urging all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities.
In response to these provocations, Morocco’s military has intensified its operations against separatist forces.
On November 5, 2024, a drone strike hit four Polisario vehicles east of the sand wall.
Reports indicated that the vehicles were registered in Mauritania, and the militants were disguised in civilian clothing to avoid detection by Moroccan forces. The attack resulted in two fatalities and three injuries, although the Polisario Front claimed no casualties from the strike, offering a version of events that contradicted local sources.
The international community’s stance has grown more favorable to Morocco, with key allies, including France, reaffirming their support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and endorsing the autonomy plan as the only viable solution.
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