During the Tuareg rebellion of 2012, Islamist fighters attacked and desecrated the tomb of Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar. In April 2012, Ansar Dine fighters had taken over Timbuktu and reportedly were trying to impose "Sharia" law. UNESCO had expressed concern about the safety of this and other sites in the city. On 30 June, it was reported by a local journalist that Ansar Dine had completely destroyed the mausoleum, along with two others, and would eventually destroy 13 other cemeteries and mausolea.