| Conflict: | Battle of Ben Guerdane |
| Partof: | the ISIL insurgency in Tunisia and the spillover of the Libyan Civil War (2014–2020) |
| Date: | 7–9 March 2016 |
| Place: | Ben Gardane, Medenine Governorate, Tunisia |
| Result: | Tunisian victory |
| Combatant1: | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia) |
| Combatant2: | Tunisia
|
| Commander1: | Various |
| Commander2: | Habib Essid Beji Caid Essebsi Farhat Horchani (Minister of National Defense) General Ismaïl Fathali (Army Chief of Staff) Samir Naqi (Senior police official) Mohamed Maali (Head of counter-terrorism department) Colonel Abdel Atti Abdelkabir [1] [2] (Local anti-terror security chief)† |
| Strength1: | ~100 fighters[3] |
| Strength2: | Unknown |
| Casualties1: | 35-55 killed 52 captured[4] |
| Casualties2: | 13 killed 14 wounded |
| Casualties3: | 7 civilians killed 3 civilians wounded |
| Notes: | † Head of counter-terrorism division assassinated in home by militants. |
The Battle of Ben Guerdane occurred on March 7, 2016, in the city of Ben Gardane in Tunisia on the border with Libya. Islamic State forces attempted to seize the city, but were repulsed by the Tunisian military. The clashes continued also on 8 and 9 of March in the area.
Armed groups of militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya and Ansar al-Sharia began the attack on the town by grouping around and seizing the local mosque. The mosque loudspeakers were used to broadcast a message and a signal for the attack on government facilities. The Tunisian National Guard, military barracks, and police posts were simultaneously ambushed, in an attempt to take over Ben Guerdane and establish an "emirate" within Tunisia.[5] The fighting continued between the attackers and Tunisian military and police reinforcements, until clashes ended in mid-morning, and continued pursuit operations in the vicinity lasted the rest of the day.[6]
The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Defense put the death toll at 55 armed militants, 13 security forces members and seven civilians.[7] [8]
