mechanized infantry, Reshef used his superior maneuverability to flank the Egyptian position. There was heavy, close-quarter fighting in the trenches, and extra units were brought up against the Orcha position. The paratroopers reported their defenses to have been penetrated during the afternoon, and they later withdrew after detonating the bridges over the Sweetwater Canal at Serabaeum. The Israelis captured Egyptian positions in the area, and discovered that Orcha Hill contained a major Egyptian radio intercept station. The capture of Orcha caused the collapse of Egyptian defenses in the area; the paratroopers pulled back to the village of Ain Ghasin five kilometres north, and Azmy ordered the 89th Battalion to withdraw to the adjacent Touscan strong point, abandoning the ramparts at Serabaeum. These were occupied by the Israelis, which they used to fire on Egyptian positions across the canal. The Egyptians hastily organised defenses at Touscan. This new line of defenses was just over 12 kilometres south of Ismailia. Meanwhile, Egyptian General Headquarters (GHQ) in Cairo, sent the 139th Sa'iqa Group with its two battalions to Ismailia. They were given the objective of eliminating Israeli forces up to the Deversoir area and destroying Israeli bridges across the Suez Canal. A team of frogmen was attached for that end, and the group had no armor or heavy weaponry, and their only transports were large military trucks. GHQ did not include Second Army command in any of the planning, and in fact only notified Second Army of the operation on the morning of October 19, when the Sa'iqa Group had already begun moving to Ismailia from Cairo. This alarmed Second Army command, and Khalil ordered military police to stop the 139th Sa'iqa Group's vehicles at Abu Suweir, and have its commander, Colonel Osama Ibrahim, arrive at his headquarters in Ismailia. Ibrahim arrived that evening and met Khalil and Shazly. Both men were shocked when they learned of Ibrahim's objectives, imaginary as they were and impossible to achieve, an indication of the state of confusion in GHQ at the time. Khalil canceled the entire operation and placed the Sa'iqa unit under Second Army's command instead, and Ibrahim in turn notified GHQ of his new orders. By midnight he was at Khalil's headquarters once more, where he was informed GHQ's reply: Ibrahim would proceed with his original mission. Third and fourth days Starting at sunrise on October 20, the Israeli Air Force launched aerial attacks