Jebel Mariam became engaged in intense fighting but, with their advantageous position, were able to repel the attack by late afternoon. Meanwhile, the Israelis concentrated artillery and mortar fire against the Sa'iqa positions at Abu 'Atwa and Nefisha. At noon, advance Israeli elements engaged with a Sa'iqa reconnaissance unit, and the Israelis lost two tanks and a half-track. At 1:00 pm, an Israeli paratrooper company attacked Abu 'Atwa without first scouting ahead, and was ambushed and annihilated. The attack ended after paratroopers suffered over fifty casualties and lost four tanks. At the same time, two tank companies and mechanized infantry attacked Nefisha, supported with close air support. The Egyptian commando battalion in charge of Nefisha managed to repel the attack after prolonged, heavy fighting that closed to very short distances. The Israelis lost three tanks, two half-tracks, and a large number of men. For their part the Sa'iqa at Nefisha lost 24 commandos, including four officers, and 42 wounded, including three officers. Edgar O'Ballance mentions a counterattack by the Sa'iqa which took place during the afternoon and pushed some of Sharon's troops back along the Sweetwater Canal. The Israeli attack had been thoroughly routed. Aftermath With nightfall, the ceasefire imposed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 came into effect at 6:52 pm, ending the battle. A large number of Israeli wounded were still on the battlefield. Sharon requested helicopters to evacuate the wounded, but Bar-Lev replied in the negative, as it was dark and too risky to land helicopters near the battlefield. The Israelis worked to extract the wounded from the battlefield anyway, and the rescue operations took some four hours before most of the wounded were finally evacuated. When sunrise arrived, Israeli paratroopers and Egyptian Sa'iqa sometimes found that there were no more than 20 meters separating their positions, but the ceasefire held. The combined Egyptian paratrooper-commando force managed to achieve a tactical and strategic victory at a time when Egypt's general situation on the battlefield was deteriorating, and GHQ was in a state of confusion. Sharon's advance toward Ismailia had been halted, and Second Army's logistical lines remained secure. While the Egyptians attribute their successful defense of the city to their staunch resistance, Sharon would remain adamant after the war that he had failed to capture Ismailia due to Southern Command's interference. Sharon – who was a member of the political opposition in Israel – insisted that