Operation Badr was the code name for the Egyptian military operation to cross the Suez Canal and seize the Bar-Lev Line of Israeli fortifications on October 6, 1973, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, which also occurred that year during the holy month of Ramadan.

Launched in conjunction with a Syrian assault on the Golan Heights, this attack marked the start of the Yom Kippur War. The attack surprised the Israelis, and by October, 7th the crossing was complete.

Within three days, however, Israeli forces had pushed the Syrians back to the pre-war ceasefire lines, within a week, Israeli artillery began to shell the outskirts of Damascus.

Parallel the Israelis counter-attacked at the seam between the two Egyptian armies, crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt, and began slowly advancing towards the city of Suez.

By October, 24th the Israelis had improved their positions considerably and completed their encirclement of Egypt’s Third Army and the city of Suez.

This development led to tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and as a result, a ceasefire was imposed cooperatively on October, 25th to end the war.

Israeli forces were 40 kilometres from Damascus and 101 kilometres from Cairo.

On 6th of October 1981, Sadat was assassinated during the annual victory parade held in Cairo celebrate Operation Badr, Egypt’s crossing of the Suez Canal.

Sadat, known as the ‘Hero of the Crossing’, was a senior member of the ‘Free Officers’ who overthrew King Farouk in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952,  Vice President twice under Nasser and  the third President of Egypt.