Targa expedition (1490)

The Portuguese Targa expedition took place in 1490 when a Portuguese fleet commanded by Fernando de Meneses, 2nd Marquis of Vila Real plundered the town of Targa, a known pirate haven in Morocco. On the same occasion, Dom Fernando sacked the Moroccan mountain town of Comice.

History
The Portuguese occupied Ceuta in 1415 at the Conquest of Ceuta. In 1490, King John II prepared an expedition against the Moroccan qaid of Chefchaouen Ali Ibn Rashid al-Alam ("Barraxa" in Portuguese), and entrusted command to the son of the Marquis of Vila Real, Dom Fernando de Meneses, who was provided with 50 ships. Having called at Gibraltar, he messaged the captain of Ceuta António de Noronha, 1st Count of Linhares (who was his brother) that he would disembark in that city shortly to attack Chefchaouen, but Dom António dissuaded him from undertaking the campaign, which he considered impractical. Dom Fernando was instead persuaded to attack the town of Targa, which was a known pirate haven to the south-east of Ceuta. Having been joined by some Spanish volunteers, the expedition ultimately numbered 130 horse and 1870 foot.

As soon as the fleet came into sight of Targa, the settlement was evacuated by its inhabitants, leaving ample spoil behind. The Portuguese disembarked, captured 25 ships, 370 people, weapons including cannons, released a number of Christian POWs and razed the town along with the surrounding agricultural fields.

Unsatisfied with the attack on Targa, Dom Fernando later that year joined forces with the captains of Portuguese Tangier and Alcácer-Ceguer to sack a town on the Rif mountains the Portuguese identified as Comice. With an army then numbering 400 horses and 1200 feet the Portuguese sacked the town and captured ample spoil, including 100 or 1000 persons, cattle and horses. 40 Portuguese died in the action.