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Denver – A day after Algeria accused Morocco of targeting Algerian truckers with drone strikes, Moroccan sources have denied the alleged attack and said that Morocco will not be dragged into an open conflict with Algeria.
After social media posts showing two destroyed vehicles made rounds Tuesday, Algerian President Tebboune published claims accusing Morocco of using “advanced weapons” to target and destroy the two Algerian trucks as they headed to a city in northern Mauritania.
Despite the denial of these rumors from the Mauritanian government, Algiers has stuck to its rhetoric and vowed to avenge the death of its citizens. Even as Morocco has long restrained itself from responding to a series of other uncorroborated accusations from Algiers, this particular incident has raised fears of an open confrontation between the two neighbors.
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Morocco has officially remained silent on Algeria’s accusations, although certain military sources have spoken up about Algeria’s true motives, and what they believe really happened to the destroyed vehicles.
According to a high-ranking source in the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) interviewed by AFP, the reality of the situation is that “two Algerian trucks crossed a mined field” in the region carrying supplies for the Polisario.
While the official did not specify the location, Algerian media referred to the Bir Lahlou area, which serves as a buffer zone within Western Sahara between Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. Another source confirmed the area was off-limits to civilians and is “used exclusively by military vehicles of armed militias.”
The Moroccan statements raise doubts as to whether the personnel in the area were merely civilians, due to the area’s well-known volatility.
The Moroccan military source also stated that Algeria was looking to raise issues with Morocco’s use of advanced drones. With the unmanned vehicles, Morocco has effectively “upset the regional balance of power,” they said.
Morocco’s drones have been deployed along the tense border with Algeria to assist military personnel in keeping the area secure and deterring both Polisario and Algerian incursions.
However, despite the escalating tensions, Morocco maintains it does not want conflict with its eastern neighbor.
“If Algeria wants war, Morocco does not. Morocco will never be drawn into a spiral of violence and regional destabilization,” the official source stated. They added that “Morocco has never targeted and will never target Algerian citizens, whatever the circumstances.”
