On Monday, a Mauritanian army patrol intercepted several dozen Polisario members as they attempted to illegally enter Mauritanian territory. "Armed Polisario elements, dressed in civilian clothing, were traveling in about ten vehicles with Mauritanian license plates. They were planning attacks on Royal Armed Forces (FAR) positions or civilian targets west of the Sand Wall," a source familiar with the matter told Yabiladi. "A Mauritanian army drone was able to locate and monitor the convoy, ultimately forcing it to retreat toward the Tindouf camps," the source added. This incident comes shortly after President Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani rejected a Polisario request to reverse the closure of the Lebriga region, located near the Algerian border—a decision taken by the Mauritanian army on May 21. The use of drones highlights Nouakchott's determination to secure its border with Algeria, which was once considered porous. Since June 2024, the Mauritanian army has been equipped with two Chinese-made MALE BZK-005 Chang Ying drones, supplied by Norinco. The European Union has also pledged to provide drones to Mauritania and Chad—two countries that remain members of the G5 Sahel—after Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso withdrew from the French-initiated alliance formed in 2014.
