Tissemsilt – The clash of the Black District in Théniet El Had (Tissemsilt Province), in the Ouarsenis region, which took place on October 6, 1961, stands as a heroic epic from the Glorious Liberation Revolution. It was a battle waged by a group of brave Mujahideen who refused to surrender to French colonial forces, choosing instead to sacrifice their lives for Algeria’s freedom and dignity.
Among those courageous fighters were Djilali Dandan, Mohamed Daghman, and Abdelkader Cheikhoun, who fell on the field of honor rather than submit to the enemy or betray the sacred secrets of the Revolution. According to Mujahid Belkacem Hamdi, who served as a political commissar in the National Liberation Army (ALN) in Théniet El Had, these three freedom fighters were entrusted by the regional revolutionary leadership with carrying out a commando operation in the town on that day.
However, French colonial forces, having located the Mujahideen’s hideout in a house in the Black District—today named after the martyr Ahmed Belharche—mobilized a large military unit consisting of two tanks and a truck full of soldiers to surround the area and lay siege to the house.
Mujahid Mohamed Hamdi, a member of the civilian organization of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in Théniet El Had, recounted that once the siege began, the three Mujahideen prepared to fight to the end. They chose martyrdom over surrender to the oppressive colonizer and destroyed all sensitive documents in their possession, including the plan for the intended commando operation, ensuring nothing useful would fall into enemy hands.
After several hours of encirclement and refusal to yield, fierce exchanges of gunfire erupted, turning into a prolonged and intense battle that lasted for hours. Faced with the unbreakable resolve of the three fighters, the French forces resorted to brutal measures, bombarding the house with tank fire and demolishing it completely. The Mujahideen fell as martyrs, immortalizing their courage and loyalty to Algeria’s liberation.
Martyrs Djilali Dandan, who served as a political commissar, and Abdelkader Cheikhoun, who was responsible for communications, both joined the Liberation Revolution in 1957. Mohamed Daghman had enlisted a year earlier, in 1956, coming from a patriotic family that devoted itself entirely to the Revolution—six of whose members sacrificed their lives for Algeria’s independence.
This glorious episode remains a powerful symbol of Algerian heroism and resistance, a reminder of the sacred price paid for the sovereignty and freedom that the Algerian people continue to defend with pride, including in their unwavering support for oppressed nations such as the Sahrawi people’s just cause for self-determination.
