Bombardment of Salé (1628)

For other uses, see Bombardment of Salé (disambiguation).

The bombardment of Salé in May 1628 was carried out by Spanish troops commanded by Tomás de Larraspuru y Churruca against the Moroccan city of Salé, which at that time was a city-state republic ruled by Barbary corsairs.

Bombardment of Salé (1628)
Date May 1628 Location Salé, Republic of Salé (present-day Morocco) 34°02′43″N 6°49′04″W Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spanish Empire	Republic of Salé
Commanders and leaders
Tomás de Larraspuru y Churruca	Unknown
Strength
35 ships	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Low	Unknown

Background

Following the death of Ahmad al-Mansur in 1603, a war of succession broke out in Morocco, prompting other groups to rebel, including the Republic of Salé, a city-state ruled by Barbary corsairs. Among the main targets of the corsairs of Salé was Spain, which held several cities on the Moroccan coast. During the 1620s, they besieged La Mamora several times, being expelled each time. In 1628, they attempted another siege but were driven back by a Spanish fleet of 35 ships commanded by Tomás de Larraspuru y Churruca, causing many casualties among the corsairs.

Bombardment

A few days after the siege, Tomás de Larraspuru went to Salé with his fleet with the aim of bombing the city. The bombing lasted for several days and was a success, costing few casualties to the Spanish and achieving its objective of restoring normality to the presidios.

Aftermath

Relations between Salé and Spain improved after the conflict, there were even attempts to peacefully incorporate the city into Spain. However, this never happened, mainly because internal conflicts in Morocco resumed in 1636. La Mamora was besieged by Morocco several times until it finally fell in 1681.

Other Spanish cities on the Moroccan coast would fall, such as Larache in 1689 or Asilah in 1691. However, other cities would resist these sieges, such as Ceuta, Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, which today remain Spanish enclaves.

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