Led by their leader El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, the Polisario forces aimed to overthrow the regime of President Moktar Ould Daddah.

In early June 1976, a force of several hundred Polisario guerrillas, led by El-Ouali Mustapha Sayed, embarked on a raid from their rear base in Tindouf, Algeria.

The convoy consisted of approximately a hundred vehicles, including several Berliet-Algerian trucks loaded with ammunition, communication equipment, fuel, and supplies.

[10] The main objective of the raid was to reach Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, which had been left practically undefended as most of the country's armed forces were stationed far to the north.

Notably, the raid resulted in the death of Polisario's Secretary-General, El Ouali, and his military deputy, about 100 kilometers north of Nouakchott.