His command included Northrop F-5 fighter jets supplied by the U.S.[2] In 1972 the Minister of National Defense, Mohamed Oufkir, launched a scheme to assassinate King Hassan II of Morocco.

[3] On 16 August 1972 King Hassan II was returning from a trip to France in a Boeing 727 passenger airplane.

[2] Later, air force units attacked the Rabat-Salé Airport and the Royal Palace of Rabat, causing some deaths.

[2] After learning that the attack had failed, Amekrane ordered the crew of a helicopter to transport him and another officer to Gibraltar, where he requested asylum.

[5] The day after the attempted coup, Malika Amekrane left the country with her children and went into hiding.