How Operation Badr broke through the Bar Lev Line
At 2:05pm on 6 October 1973, Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal and breached a line many had called impossible to cross.
At 2:05pm on 6 October 1973, Operation Badr began. Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal under the cover of artillery and air strikes, and within hours had broken through the Bar Lev Line, the chain of Israeli fortifications built along the eastern bank.
Water against sand
The biggest obstacle was the huge sand barrier on the far bank, up to 20 metres high in places. Egyptian engineers cut through it with high-pressure water hoses, opening passages for bridges and armour far faster than explosives would have allowed.
More than a date
Fifty-three years on, 6 October is no longer just a date in a history book. For Egyptians it stands for resilience, careful planning and the determination to win back what had been taken.
Happy Victory Day to Egypt and all Egyptians.
