The Algerian army has completed the construction of a new military airbase in Oum El Assel, located in the Tindouf province, approximately 70 km from the Moroccan border, south of Mhamid El Ghizlane. The information was reported by the Atlantic Defense and Armament Observatory (OADA) on X. Satellite images show the presence of two Russian-made MIG-29M2 fighter jets equipped with air-to-air missiles. According to the Observatory, the base also features ammunition depots and other ground infrastructure. «This project was launched toward the end of 2021 by the Algerian Ministry of Defense. In addition to the MIGs, the base is capable of accommodating Sukhoi aircraft, also of Russian manufacture. To make this possible, the runway had to be widened», a Moroccan security source told Yabiladi. «Several tanks have been deployed at the base, some of which were transferred a few months ago from the Tindouf camps», the source added. They also noted that «the base lacks sufficient natural defenses to ensure its security, even though the Algerian army has stationed missiles there». The Oum El Assel base falls under the command of Algeria's 3rd Military Region. As a reminder, the Algerian army operates around twenty air and ground bases near the Moroccan border.
