Ambush of Palestro
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Not to be confused with Capture of Palestro (1871).
The Ambush of Palestro, or Ambush of Djerrah, took place on the 18th May 1956, during the Algerian war, near the village of Djerrah in the region of Palestro (now Lakhdaria) in Kabylie. A section of about forty men from the National Liberation Army (ALN) under the command of Lieutenant Ali Khodja ambushed a unit of 21 men from the 9th Colonial Infantry Regiment of the French Army commanded by Second Lieutenant Hervé Artur.
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Ambush of Palestro | |||||||||
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Part of Algerian War | |||||||||
Location of the ambush | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
FLN | French Republic | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Ali Khodja | Hervé Artur † | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
40 men[1] | 21 marines | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Unknown Estimated 1 killed[2] |
17 killed 3 prisoners killed 1 prisoner released[3] Total: 20 killed 1 wounded |
Close
The ambush led to the complete destruction of the small unit of French marines, with a total of 20 French soldiers killed, including their commander, Hervé Artur. One French soldier was taken prisoner and later released. Algerian losses are unknown, but thought to number around one killed and a few wounded.