Relizane: The Battle of “Oued Allala,” also known as the Battle of “Ouled Ben Abderrahim” Mountain, unfolded on November 13, 1957, in Mend¨s, 35 kilometers south of Relizane. This engagement is hailed as a heroic epic, where the National Liberation Army’s mujahideen inflicted severe human and material losses on the French colonial forces.
According to Algeria Press Service, the confrontation began when a company of the ALN, led by martyr Mohamed Boukendoura (“Si MaSmar”), launched an ambush against a French colonial patrol in the Oued Allala valley, situated at the base of Mount Ouled Ben Abderrahim. The attack was strategically commanded by martyr Ben Adda Ben Aouda (“Si Zaghloul”), the leader of Zone 4 of Historic Wilaya V.
During this fierce engagement, the mujahideen successfully inflicted heavy casualties on the colonial forces, capturing military equipment and setting their vehicles ablaze. This forced the French patrol to urgently call for reinforcements from Oran. The battle escalated with the arrival of additional units and 17 aircraft from the French airborne commando units, which bombarded the mujahideen positions, as highlighted by regional history researcher Mohamed Ghertil.
Historian and researcher Professor Lahcen Mohamed, in his book “History of the Ammi Moussa Region,” confirmed the deployment of airborne commando units from Oran to bolster the French army divisions, with three helicopters and several aircraft joining the battle. Major “Si Zaghloul” subsequently ordered Si Larbi’s battalion to launch an assault on the French forces’ center at Ain Tarik to alleviate pressure on the mujahideen in Oued Allala. The battle raged on until after sunset, claiming the lives of battalion commander “Si M’amer” and 35 other martyrs.
The French colonial forces suffered considerable losses, with around 40 soldiers killed, including 9 artillery soldiers. Several aircraft were damaged, and seven trucks along with nine military vehicles were destroyed, resulting in the loss of substantial military equipment.