W. Sahara's Polisario Front Attacks Guerguerat Border Area
Muhammad Irfan Published January 24, 2021 | 11:00 AM
Algiers, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jan, 2021 ) :Western Sahara's pro-independence Polisario Front bombarded the Guerguerat buffer zone under Moroccan control in the far south of the desert territory in an overnight attack Rabat described as part of a "propaganda war".
"The Saharawi army launched four rockets in the direction of... Guerguerat," on the border between Morocco and Mauritania, the Saharawi press agency SPS said in a statement Sunday, citing a military leader of the separatist Saharawi forces.
Morocco launched a military operation on November 13 in the buffer zone of Guerguerat, in the extreme south of the former Spanish colony, to drive out a group of Saharawi militants who were blocking a transit route to neighbouring Mauritania.
The SPS statement also reported attacks along the security wall that separates Saharawi fighters from Moroccan forces in the vast desert expanse.
A senior Moroccan official contacted by AFP in Rabat said: "There was harassing fire near the area of Guerguerat, but it did not affect the trunk road, traffic was not disrupted." "It's been part of a cycle of harassment for more than three months," he said.
"There is a desire to create a propaganda war, a media war, on the existence of a war in the Sahara" but "the situation is normal", he said.
Western Sahara is a disputed and divided former Spanish colony, mostly under Morocco's control, where tensions with the Polisario Front have simmered since the 1970s.
In November, Morocco sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone to reopen a key road leading to Mauritania.
The Polisario responded by declaring a 1991 ceasefire null and void, arguing the road had not existed when the truce was signed.
The two sides are reported to have since exchanged regular fire along the demarcation line.
The UN-backed ceasefire deal was meant to lead to a referendum on self-determination.
Morocco has offered autonomy, but maintains the territory is a sovereign part of the kingdom.
UN-led negotiations involving Morocco and the Polisario, with Algeria and Mauritania as observers, have been suspended since March 2019.
The Polisario Front, which fought a war for independence from Morocco from 1975 to 1991, said it was still willing to join UN talks on the territory's future -- but would not lay down its arms.
"In the past, we put all our trust in the international community and definitively ended our armed struggle," senior Polisario security official Sidi Ould Oukal said on Tuesday.
"We have waited 30 years. Thirty years of broken promises, prevarication and untenable waiting."Ould Oukal insisted the group was "open to any mediation".
"But at the same time, we will keep up the armed struggle, based on past experiences," he said.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
PM makes two more appointments in his team
Terrorists of Shangla suicide attack will be brought to justice: Interior Minist ..
Applications Open for 6th Cycle of Start-up Incubation under the National Expans ..
Join vivo's "Light it Up" Social Media Contest in Ramadan to Win vivo V30 5G
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 29 March 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 29 March 2024
Journalists call for global action to end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
CM for generating opportunities to bring direct int'l investment
Pakistan retains position in FTSE secondary emerging market
High Commissioner of Malaysia hosts Iftar dinner reception
NEPRA announces 2nd quarterly adjustment in power bills with Rs 1.68 cut per uni ..
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Shaheed Jalil Andrabi remembered on his martyrdom anniversary
2 days ago -
Architectural grandeur of Mohabat Khan Mosque attracts visitors, archeology lovers
2 days ago -
Besant Hall cultural centre to hold programme in memory Pir Hassam din Rashdi
4 days ago -
USA beats Mexico 2-0 for CONCACAF Nations League title
4 days ago -
World urged to intervene for peace in Kashmir
5 days ago -
Undeterred resolve – only way to end economic woes
5 days ago
-
Organic Food: A booming trend in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
5 days ago -
From Soil to Harvest: Use of modern technology vital for agricultural renaissance
5 days ago -
Spring season offers glimpse into GB's natural beauty, cultural heritage
5 days ago -
Nation to mark decades’ long journey of resilience through annals of history
7 days ago -
23rd March: A historic day reminds Muslims’ heroic struggle for Pakistan
7 days ago -
Measures urged to recharge depleting water table: Experts
7 days ago