Capture of Mers-el-Kébir (1505)
The Capture of Mers-el-Kébir on 13 September 1505 was the first campaign carried out by the Spanish Empire in its war against the Zayyanid Kingdom of Tlemcen (in modern Algeria). Mers-el-Kébir () was a roadstead open to the southwest winds, and a refuge for corsairs. The port was protected by a strong and well-armed castle, and it had already been unsuccessfully attacked by Portuguese troops in 1496 and 1501.