Situated in the northern region of Mauritania, Ain Ben Tili was located just a few kilometers away from the town of Bir Lehlou, near the border with Western Sahara.

The battle at Ain Ben Tili began when Polisario Front fighters launched an attack on Mauritanian troops in the town.

[7] Commander Soueidatt Ould Weddad [ar], an officer in the Mauritanian Parachute Regiment, tragically lost his life during the conflict.

[8] On January 21, two days after the initial attack, the conflict escalated further when a Moroccan Northrop F-5A aircraft was shot down by a SAM-6 missile while operating in Mauritanian airspace.

As a result, the Mauritanian garrison received orders to retreat from the area on January 24, 1976, effectively ceding control of Ain Ben Tili to the Polisario Front.