On May 5, 2026, three projectiles struck the outskirts of Es-Smara, a city in the Moroccan Sahara, near a local prison and cemetery. The attack, claimed by the Polisario Front, left one woman injured, according to verified reports from Moroccan authorities and international news agencies.
The incident has triggered a wave of international condemnation. The United Nations Security Council, in a statement on May 6, 2026, denounced the attack and called for restraint, reaffirming the need for a political solution to the Western Sahara dispute. Al-Azhar University in Egypt also issued a statement on May 7, 2026, condemning the violence as a violation of Islamic principles of peace.
Morocco's government has accused the Polisario Front of violating the 1991 ceasefire agreement. The attack comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with the UN-led peace process stalled since 2023. No independent verification of the Polisario's claim was available as of May 11, 2026.
