However, intelligence failures became instantly apparent. The police did not secure the perimeter of the building’s rear alley. This oversight would prove fatal.
The official death toll was initially muddled. The Interior Ministry eventually confirmed the deaths of three policemen. Unofficial sources—including human rights lawyers and local journalists—claimed that several conscripts also died, but their names were withheld for "national security." At least 10 militants were reported killed in the final assault, though no bodies were openly displayed. karmouz war 2018
The spark that would ignite the Karmouz War came in the form of a tip. Security sources later claimed that informants had identified a hideout used by a cell of the —a militant group believed to be an offshoot of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Hasm had claimed several high-profile assassinations and drive-by shootings across Egypt since 2016. The target in Karmouz: a four-story building housing alleged militants and a substantial cache of weapons. Part 2: The Ambush – July 19, 2018 The Initial Raid At approximately 9:00 AM, an elite unit from the Alexandria Directorate of Security, led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Abdel Hamid, approached the targeted building. The unit consisted of roughly 12–15 officers and conscripts, lightly armored and armed with assault rifles and sidearms. Their mission was ostensibly a "crackdown on drug dealing and wanted fugitives." However, intelligence failures became instantly apparent