A New India
Chapter 208 - 208: The Start of War - II

A radio operator shook his head. "Still hours away, sir."

Youssef gritted his teeth. "Then we fight with what we have." He grabbed a rifle and took a position beside his men, firing at the advancing Israeli forces, his shots drowned out by the sound of tank cannons and machine guns.

Despite the relentless onslaught, the Egyptians held pockets of resistance, their training and equipment from India giving them a fighting chance.

They used guerrilla tactics, taking advantage of the terrain to strike and retreat, harassing the Israeli troops as best they could.

But for every Israeli soldier they held back, two more seemed to take their place.

In Cairo, Nasser was updated continuously on the situation. The news was alarming, Israel had breached multiple lines and was advancing deeper into the Sinai.

Yet he remained calm, his mind racing with possible countermeasures. He turned to his closest advisors.

"Contact our allies. I want the world to know what's happening here," he ordered. "And prepare a statement. Israel is not fighting Egypt, they're fighting the entire Arab world."

As night began to fall, the battlefield in Sinai was littered with the wreckage of vehicles.

The Egyptians had managed to slow the Israeli advance, but it was a temporary victory. The Israeli forces were regrouping, preparing for another push the following day.

In his bunker, Captain Hassan gathered what remained of his unit.

His men were exhausted, their faces full with dust and sweat.

They knew they were outgunned, but they also knew they were defending their land.

"Tomorrow, they'll come harder," Hassan said, his voice steady despite the fatigue. "But we're not giving them an inch without a fight. Hold your positions, stay low, and remember everything we trained for."

His men nodded, settling down in the sand for a brief rest, clutching their rifles tightly.

As dawn broke over the Sinai, a harsh light spilled across the desert, casting long shadows over the makeshift defensive positions where Egyptian soldiers had spent the night.

Captain Hassan scanned the horizon through his binoculars, noting the dust clouds rising in the distance.

The Israelis were on the move again, and this time they were coming in force.

Hassan lowered the binoculars and turned to his men, who were spread out in defensive positions. "Get ready," he said, his voice calm but firm. "They're coming from the north, and it looks like they've brought reinforcements. We'll hold this line as long as we can."

The first Israeli tank crossed the ridge, its turret turned to lock onto the Egyptian positions.

Hassan raised his hand, signaling his men to hold fire.

The tanks rolled closer, flanked by infantry moving cautiously, using the terrain to shield their approach.

Then, when the Israelis were within range, Hassan shouted, "Now!"

The Egyptian soldiers opened fire, a volley of rounds erupting across the desert.

Anti-tank rockets streaked toward the Israeli armor, and one of the rockets hit its mark, striking the lead tank and sending it up in a plume of smoke.

But the Israelis were undeterred, pressing forward even as their vehicles took fire.

Behind the first line of tanks, Israeli soldiers moved up, returning fire with disciplined precision.

The Egyptians, using every bit of cover, held their positions, but they were outnumbered and outgunned.

A mortar shell landed nearby, sending sand and debris flying.

Hassan ducked, shouting over the din, "Stay low! Aim carefully, and conserve your ammunition!"

Overhead, the Israeli Air Force began its bombing runs, targeting any visible Egyptian positions.

The anti-aircraft guns, manned by some of Hassan's men, fired up at the incoming jets, but the Israeli planes were fast and maneuverable.

One of the jets took a hit, trailing smoke as it veered off, but the others continued their assault, dropping bombs that sent shockwaves through the ground.

Hassan's radio crackled with the voice of Colonel Youssef, who was coordinating the defense from a position further south. "Hassan, hold your line as long as you can. Reinforcements are on their way, but it'll be at least another hour."

Hassan grit his teeth. "Understood, Colonel. We'll hold as long as possible."

The Israelis were advancing steadily, their tanks and infantry pressing forward despite the Egyptian resistance.

Hassan's men fired from cover, picking off advancing soldiers where they could, but for every Israeli they took down, more seemed to take their place.

An explosion rocked the ground nearby as an Israeli tank shell hit close to Hassan's position.

He staggered, regaining his balance as he shouted for his men to fall back to the secondary line. "Move! We're regrouping at the next position! Keep firing as you go!"

The Egyptians began to pull back in an organized retreat, firing as they moved.

The Israeli forces pushed forward, taking ground steadily, their tanks grinding over the sand, their infantry advancing with lethal precision.

Hassan's men, though exhausted, managed to hold the line just long enough to prevent the Israelis from completely overrunning their position.

As they reached the secondary line, Hassan took a moment to catch his breath, glancing at the faces of his men.

Their eyes were filled with determination, but he could see the exhaustion etched on their faces.

They had been fighting for hours, and the relentless pressure from the Israelis was taking its toll.

"Listen up!" Hassan shouted, gathering his men around him. "We're outnumbered, and they have air support, but we're not done yet. Hold this position. Use the terrain to your advantage. Keep your heads down and make every shot count. Reinforcements are coming, but until then, it's just us."

The soldiers nodded, gripping their rifles and settling into position.

They knew the odds were against them, but they also knew they had no choice.

This was their land, and they would defend it with everything they had.

The Israeli tanks moved closer, and the infantry followed.

The Israelis advanced cautiously, aware of the resistance, but their firepower was overwhelming.

Another Israeli jet swooped down, releasing a bomb that hit near the Egyptian position, sending debris flying.

Hassan shielded his face, the blast ringing in his ears.

When he looked up, he saw that some of his men were down, but others were still firing, still holding the line.

The radio crackled again. It was Colonel Youssef. "Hassan, reinforcements are almost there. Hang on just a little longer."

Hassan clenched his jaw. "Copy that, Colonel. We'll hold."

The Egyptians braced themselves as the Israeli forces pressed forward, the tanks closing in, their cannons aimed and ready.

Hassan shouted for his men to take cover, and they hunkered down, waiting for the inevitable onslaught.

Just then, from the south, a column of Egyptian vehicles appeared, kicking up dust as they sped toward the embattled position. The reinforcements had arrived.

The Israeli forces hesitated, momentarily thrown off balance by the unexpected arrival of fresh troops.

The Egyptian reinforcements opened fire, their artillery targeting the Israeli tanks with renewed vigor.

The combined firepower of the two Egyptian forces was enough to slow the Israeli advance, forcing them to pull back slightly and regroup.

Hassan let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The battle was far from over, but for the first time that day, they had a fighting chance. He turned to his men, a smile on his face.

"We're not done yet," he said, his voice carrying a note of fierce determination. "They came here thinking we'd be easy to break. Let's show them they were wrong."