For the past 3 weeks I write about Sinai, yesterday the memorial day 6th. Of October the Libaration of Sinai after years of Israely occupation -1967-1973- I was going to write about that unforgetable day and while my brains were sweeming in the past of 1973 and its events I had a serious stop thinking of all those who sacreficed their lives just for me and you to be proud of being Egyptians. And I had a serious stop thinking of Men Like Newton; Isac Newton who become a genious in mathematics due to a simple event a falling Apple that lead him to his famous laws, and men who created events so there are men events creats them and men who create events and history like Brigader Ibrahim El Refaei!
Brigadier General Staff of War the hero martyr Ibrahim El Refaei The LION of Special Egyptian Forces!
Who is Ibrahim El Refaei? He was Born in Dakahleya Governorate on 27th.of June 1931. He joined the Military Collage 1951 and graduated on 1954 to join the Infantry. He become an Instructor in the Special Forces School and created the first ever Special Egyptian Forces which participated in the war of 1956 againest Israel, Britain and Frence to defende the city of Port Said!
Then Yamen war started to give him lot of expertise and become the comander of special forces batallion. Reports after the war stated he was a first degree fighting officer very brave and dependable! In 1965 President Jamal Abd El Nasser ordered an exceptional promotion in gratitude to his heroic contributions upon the war and become a humble example of Egyptian Forces and in special the Special Egyptian Forces!
Then comes the defeat of 1967 and after the cease fire Army headquartes decided to have some special forces doing special operations with the sole purpose to make Israel feel unsafe and return the lost confidence in the Egyptian Army Ibrahim El Refaei was chosen to lead those operations!
His first assignment was to intercept the military Israely train at sheikh Zouwaid then afterwords demanded to blow up the military amounation depot left over upon 1967 reteats from Sinai. Shortly after the two successful operations he recieved a leter from the Minister if Defence thanking him for his efforts in leading this special forces! And over time this group of special forces gruw up and become an honor to join them they had many goes in Sinai and become a routine to be there doing some danage to the enemy upon the long War of Attrition -Estenzaf-!
On 1968 Israel introduced a new ground/ground Roket spread to hit any Egyptian military improvisions and they were very careful to keep their positions well hidden and camouflaged, however Brigader Ibrahim successfuly crossed the canal and returned not with one but 3 whole rockets which were examined to discover their abilities and the damage they can do. This schoock not only Egypt but Israel as well which had to fire the general responsible for that post!
A famous landmark of Refaei was infiltrating behind enemy lines and cupturing an Israeli prisoner to the west bank of the canal and this prisoner was the famous first liautenant Dany Shamoun a wrestling champ whom Refaei could grab from the heart of his army to the heart of Cairo!
Upon the death of General Abd El Moneim Riyad President Nasser ordered a quick strong retaliation to raise the morals of his army that just lost lis leader; Refaei crossed again the Canal and occupied the point where rockets that killed General Riyad were lunched he killed all 44 solders some of them killed with his sonkey only and raised the Egyptian Flag on that point for the first time since Israel occupation of 1967 and remained on for 3 months after he had complitely destroyed that post! Same year Brigader Irabim Refaei captured the 1st prisoner from Israeli special forces this prisoner was with his group in a special mission and all run away from the Egyptians Special forces capturing Jacon Ronee who died shortly afterwards from his wounds.
Ibahim Refaei group of special forces become so famous that Mousy Dian the Israeli minister of defence called them the Goasts and become a scaring thing for the most experianced Israeli forces!
General Mohamed Fawzy Minister of defence and General Mohamed Sadek head of Special Inteligence forces visit the Ibrahim Refaei Special Forces upon direct orders from Nasser to honor and give medals of honor to this special forces for their bravery and heroic performance.
With August 1970 peace talks were asking for a peace treaty while Brigader Ibrahim Refaei was planning and training his team for battles he was sure WAR was comming and he had to be READY.
And Nasser R.I.P. Deaed and another leader had to persue the road R.I.P. Sadat who faced his destiniy with an occupied peice of land in his country his people demanded to libarate and he had to face his fate and libarate Sinai.. Sadat was not confortable withthe pacivity of the army leadership they were ordered to keep the enemy busy unrest and they did it successfully but when odered to plan for a war did not show willingness or co-operation so General Saad El Din Shazley the real planner and co-ordinator of the October 1973 war! And while planning for the war Sadat did not forget to visit and thank Ibrahim Refaei for his continious efforts in giving the occuping forces real hard time and lots of losses almost daily losses. R.I.P. Sadat promoted Ibrahim Refaei to Brigadier General Staff of War to become the youngest ever General Staff of War at the age of 40 years old!
Come the much awaited moment of October the 6th. War and Refaei and his batallion participated in fights all over for Rafah to Matla passages to St. Katherine, Sharm El Sheikh and many more places. They had between 2 to 3 hits daily to the point the Israeli Inteligence was astonished from his performance and visious attackes they destroyed Balaim Petrol station ealy hours of 6th. October to be the 1st operation inside deep defences lines of enemy them Sharm Sheikh airport evening of 7th.October. He attacked that airport two more times and many other missions until the penetration of Defrsoire happened then a direct oder and the most difficult one from Sadat to penetrated the enemy lines and destroy the bridge they did to supply their forces with artilery and tanks to strart an expected counter attack towords Cairo in a demostration of power to hide their bitter defeat early ours of the war, American supplies replaced all losses time was to show off pretending they were not defeated. Sadat orders were clear, STOP ENEMY move towords Ismailia and then Cairo; He brave men executed orders and battels never crossed the Suez City, completely surrounded no supplies or water they stood like lions never allowed the enemy to enter the city...General Sharon pretended being wounded and asked helicopters to move him away from the hell of Ibrahim Refaei and his LIONS, and the group 39 succeded in stopping the enemy and destroyed the bridge!
However, Brigader General Staff of War Ibrahim Refaei died on 19th of October 1973 that was Fryday the 27th. Of Ramadan 1393 H while in a battle one of the bombs falls close by to hit him fatal wounds, when Sadat was told he ordered to bring him right away to Cairo and he was brought but Brigader General Staff of War Ibrahim Refaei died of 42 years old leaving a history full of bravery and heroism showing what Egyptians can do to defend their land and how much dear is it any small piece of land or even some sand of of it, this is Egypt that braught and still Egyptians who love Egypt and will defend it for ever and ever, May God Bless Egypt for ever and ever Amen!
