General information
Type of Incompatibility: Government
Comment on Type of Incompatibility: The incompatibility concerned the government of Oman. However, the rebel group changed the scope of its goals several times.
The incompatibility was first stated at the second congress of DLF (Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Dhofar; Dhofar Liberation Front) in 1968. At the congress, DLF took the name PFLOAG (al-Jabha al-Shaabiya li-Tahrīr Uman; Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman), replaced almost its entire leadership and changed its goals. It was decided to adopt "organised revolutionary violence" and “to extend the scope of the revolution from Dhofar to Oman and the emirates of the Gulf.”
Realising that it had not been able to carry its warfare beyond the province of Dhofar, the group changed its names and its goals again in the March 1974. The newly-established PFLO (al-Jabha al-Shaabiya li-Tahrīr Uman, Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman) presented itself as a “national liberation movement” fighting against British and Iranian “occupation armies” in Oman, and not as social revolutionaries trying to overthrow a number of Arab governments in the Gulf area.
Date of first stated goal of incompatibility: 1968-09-01
Comment on date of first stated goals of incompatibility: The incompatibility was first stated at the second congress of the DLF (Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Dhofar; Dhofar Liberation Front) taking place on 1-20 September 1968. At the congress, the DLF took the name PFLOAG (al-Jabha al-Shaabiya li-Tahrīr Uman; Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman), replaced almost its entire leadership and changed its goals.
Date of first use of armed force: 1968-10-01
Comment on first use of armed force: After the statement of the PFLOAG’s goals - and thus the incompatibility of the conflict - in September 1968, the first battle-related death reportedly occurred in the Mirbat area in October 1968. Eight deaths resulted from an operation by the government forces (Northern Frontier Regiment) in this region. The first battle-related death can thus not have occurred earlier than 1 October 1968.
Note that battle-deaths occurring before 1 September 1968 between the rebel group that was then called DLF (Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Dhofar; Dhofar Liberation Front) and the government are not counted as taking part in this conflict. The DLF wanted independence for the Dhofar region (an incompatibility over territory) and not yet to overthrow the Omani Sultan (an incompatibility over government).
Date of first battle related death: 1968-10-01
Comment on first battle related death: After the statement of the PFLOAG’s goals - and thus the incompatibility of the conflict - in September 1968, the first battle-related death reportedly occurred in the Mirbat area in October 1968. Eight deaths resulted from an operation by the government forces (Northern Frontier Regiment) in this region. The first battle-related death can thus not have occurred earlier than 1 October 1968.
Note that battle-deaths occurring before 1 September 1968 between the rebel group that was then called DLF (Jabhat al-Tahrir al-Dhofar; Dhofar Liberation Front) and the government are not counted as taking part in this conflict. The DLF wanted independence for the Dhofar region (an incompatibility over territory) and not yet to overthrow the Omani Sultan (an incompatibility over government).
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1969-12-31
Comment on conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: It was reported that during 1969 at least 31 rebels and seven government troops were confirmed killed as a result of the conflict. 25 additional rebels were reliably reported killed. The conflict had thus passed the 25 battle-deaths threshold no later than 31 December 1969.
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1975
Primary Parties: Government of Oman - PFLO
Secondary Warring Parties Side A: Government of Iran, Government of Jordan, Government of United Kingdom
Secondary Warring Parties Side B: Government of South Yemen
Dimension: Internationalized intrastate
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 26 |
| Best | 26 |
| Low | 1 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1975 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The year 1975 saw the last large-scale fighting in the conflict. Gradually, the Omani government side subdued the last pockets of resistance against its rule.
Fighting increasingly concentrated on border areas around Sarfait, to which the PFLO had retreated. Prominent events on the battlefield included an attack on the PFLO’s base area in the Sherishitti caves in early 1975, which was repelled with heavy losses, the capture of the coastal town of Rakhyut near the border from the PFLO early in January and the capture of the headquarters of the PFLO’s Ninth of June regiment. In October 1975, the government side attacked military targets inside South Yemen (PDRY) at Hauf. The government stated that it had destroyed PFLOs headquarters there. It also claimed that the rebels supply lines from its secondary warring support PDRY had finally been cut.
On 11 December, Sultan Qabus announced that the conflict was won. It was reported that all remaining rebels had been driven into the PDRY. However, sporadic clashes were reported to have continued during the following years.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: YES
Victory side: a
Comment on Victory: On 11 December 1975, Sultan Qabus announced that the conflict was won. Operations in late 1975 had given the government forces effective control over all the territory of Dhofar. All PFLO troops apart from about 100 remaining guerrillas surrendered to the Sultan’s troops. The remaining rebels remained in the Central and Eastern Sectors. Only isolated incidents occurred after December 1975. Cross-border shelling from South Yemen (PDRY) continued until South Yemen, the PFLO’s secondary warring support, accepted a ceasefire in March 1976.
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Victory
Date of termination: 1975-12-11
Comment on Termination: On 11 December 1975, Sultan Qabus announced that the conflict was won. Operations in late 1975 had given the government forces effective control over all the territory of Dhofar. All PFLO troops apart from about 100 remaining guerrillas surrendered to the Sultan’s troops. The remaining rebels remained in the Central and Eastern Sectors. Only very isolated incidents occurred after December 1975. Cross-border shelling from South Yemen (PDRY) continued until South Yemen, the PFLO’s secondary warring support, accepted a ceasefire in March 1976.
Comment on Termination Date: On 11 December 1975, Sultan Qabus announced that the conflict was won. Operations in late 1975 had given the government forces effective control over all the territory of Dhofar. All PFLO troops apart from about 100 remaining guerrillas surrendered to the Sultan’s troops. The remaining rebels remained in the Central and Eastern Sectors. Only very isolated incidents occurred after December 1975. Cross-border shelling from South Yemen (PDRY) continued until South Yemen, the PFLO’s secondary warring support, accepted a ceasefire in March 1976.
