The Polisario fired three missiles at Es-Smara on Saturday, May 18. «The projectiles landed in an uninhabited area 12 km from the town. There were no casualties», a Moroccan military source told Yabiladi. Audio messages exchanged on Polisario-affiliated social networks confirm the attack. Saharawis claim to have heard explosions, but there is no mention of casualties or of civilian or military targets having been hit by the three projectiles. A Polisario media outlet claimed that the shots had caused «damage to Moroccan military installations». This latest operation comes as the Polisario prepares to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the launch of its armed struggle on Monday May 20. It also coincides with the start of the «African Lion 2024» exercise, organized jointly by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and the United States Army, from May 20 to 31. This is not the first time the Polisario has targeted Es-Smara with missiles. In October and November of last year, similar attacks resulted in the death of a Moroccan citizen residing in France.
