European-led vigilante reprisals killed more Algerians after Sétif than army actions.

Evidence

There now began the grim work of repression. The army, incorporating Senegalese units legendary for their ferocity, subjected suspect Muslim villages to systematic ratissage — literally a “raking-over”, a time-honoured word for “pacifying” operations. This involved a number of summary executions. Of the less accessible mechtas, or Muslim villages, more than forty were bombed by Douglas dive-bombers; while the cruiser Duguay-Trouin lying off in the Gulf of Bougie bombarded the environs of Kerrata at extreme range (and, presumably, comparable inaccuracy). The casualties inflicted by the armed forces were set officially (by the Tubert Commission Report) at 500 to 600, but the numbers of Muslim villagers killed by the more indiscriminate naval and aerial bombardments may well have amounted to more. Nevertheless, the figure seems to have been but a small proportion of the dead accounted for by the vengeful backlash of an outraged and frightened European population. Spontaneously organised vigilantes seized prisoners out of country gaols and lynched them; Muslims found not wearing the white brassards as prescribed by the army were simply despatched on the spot. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 74 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Saint-Arnaud’s European settlers had participated in the 1945 Sétif massacre of 40,000 Algerians.; Pied noir vigilantes summarily executed Muslims during the reprisal backlash.; A single commander’s purge executed as many as three thousand Algerians (+2 more)

Related

• European civilian vigilantes killed more Muslims than the military did after Sétif (similarity 0.95)
• Sétif reprisals killed at least ten Muslims for each European death. (similarity 0.92)
• Pied noir vigilantes summarily executed Muslims during the reprisal backlash. (similarity 0.89)
• Sétif reprisal casualties overkilled Europeans ten to one (similarity 0.83)
• Muslim deaths at Sétif outnumbered European deaths by at least ten to one (similarity 0.82)

Broader Connections

• European civilian vigilantes killed more Muslims than the military did after Sétif #corroborates (0.95) — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 74