Egypt’s Armed Forces have released a new episode of the documentary series “Hekayat Batal” (A Hero’s Story), highlighting the life and sacrifice of Brigadier General Staff Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel-Motagally, a military engineer remembered by comrades as a leader who shared every hardship with his men and never asked them to do what he would not do himself.
The episode, titled “Al-Sawwam” (“The Fasting One”), was published on the official platforms of military spokesperson Brigadier General Staff Gharib Abdel Hafez as part of an ongoing effort to document the stories of servicemen who lost their lives while defending Egypt during counter-terrorism operations in North Sinai.
Through testimonies from officers and soldiers who served alongside him, the documentary portrays Abdel-Motagally as a commander whose leadership extended beyond military orders and tactical planning.
One soldier who served under his command in Sinai in 2018 recalled an atmosphere of exceptional unity among officers, non-commissioned officers and conscripts.
“We were one body,” he said.
Abdel-Motagally was known for his constant presence among his troops. He personally supervised training programmes, monitored the readiness of newly deployed soldiers and conducted daily inspections of checkpoints and operational positions.
Colleagues remember him as a tireless officer whose radio never left his side.
“People often wondered when he actually slept,” one of them recalled.
His commitment to duty continued until the final day of his life.
On the morning of 9 August 2020, Abdel-Motagally woke before dawn, contacted his family and reminded them to eat before beginning a voluntary fast. After performing the dawn prayer, he prepared for a military operation in the Al-Muqataa area of Rafah, one of the most dangerous sectors in North Sinai at the time.
Before departure, he greeted soldiers individually and checked on them personally. According to the documentary, he even asked the driver of an armoured vehicle whether he had performed the dawn prayer before the force moved out.
The mission involved constructing an engineering barrier designed to isolate terrorist strongholds and prevent movement in the area.
As military engineers began work, the force came under heavy fire from terrorist elements. Abdel-Motagally immediately ordered the engineers to suspend construction and take cover while infantry and armoured units secured the site.
Once the threat appeared contained, he returned to the work area.
Rather than directing operations from a distance, Abdel-Motagally stepped forward to encourage his men and joined them in installing the engineering fortifications himself.
Moments later, an improvised explosive device detonated.
The explosion martyred Abdel-Motagally and one of the non-commissioned officers working beside him.
