Egypt’s Armed Forces have released a new episode of the documentary series “Hekayat Batal” (A Hero’s Story), recounting the life and final battle of Sergeant Mohamed Kotb Ramadan, a member of Egypt’s elite Thunderbolt Forces who was martyred during fierce clashes with terrorists in North Sinai.
The episode, titled “Al-Sayyad” (The Hunter), was published by military spokesperson Brigadier General Staff Gharib Abdel Hafez as part of an ongoing series documenting the sacrifices of Egyptian servicemen in the country’s counter-terrorism campaign.
Through emotional testimonies from comrades and commanders, the film presents the portrait of a young sniper remembered not only for his combat skills, but also for his loyalty, discipline and close bond with fellow.
A battle in Al-Mazala
According to officers featured in the documentary, the events took place on 13 June 2022, when multiple military outposts in the Al-Mazala area came under coordinated terrorist attacks.
Colonel Ahmed Fathy Youssef, then commander of the 31st Thunderbolt Battalion, recalled receiving urgent radio reports that several positions were facing heavy fire from terrorists.
“The area contained some of the most dangerous terrorist strongholds,” he said.
As patrols moved towards the targeted positions, troops encountered intense gunfire.
Sergeant Mohamed el-Sayed Ali, one of the soldiers involved in the operation, said sniper teams were among the main targets during the confrontation because of the damage they inflicted on attacking terrorists.
“We managed to take down many of them,” he recalled. “The pressure we put on them forced them to start withdrawing.”
But amid the fighting, tragedy struck.
According to testimonies in the film, Sergeant Mohamed Kotb warned fellow soldiers about incoming attackers terrorists before he was hit by sniper fire.
“He told us to watch out because someone was approaching,” one comrade said. “Then suddenly he was shot.” He died during the battle.
Like brothers
Beyond the battlefield, the documentary focuses heavily on the relationships formed inside Egypt’s Thunderbolt units, where soldiers often spend more time together than with their own families.
Sergeant Ahmed Kotb El-Sayes, a close friend of the fallen soldier, described Mohamed Kotb as energetic, physically fit and highly skilled with weapons.
Another comrade, Mohamed El-Sayed Ali, said the two had graduated together and served side by side through countless operations.
“We lived together more than we lived in our homes,” he said. “We ate together, trained together and went on missions together. We were like brothers — even more than brothers.”
One of the documentary’s most emotional moments comes when Sergeant Ahmed Kotb recalls learning of his friend’s death during the fighting.
Commanders initially avoided telling him directly because of how close the two men were.
“When I asked the others, they told me: ‘Your brother has been martyred… stay strong,’” he recalled.
Despite the grief, he said the men of the battalion had long spoken openly about the possibility of death in combat.
“I was proud that he achieved martyrdom,” he said quietly. “But shocked by losing him.”
A soldier known as ‘Al-Sayyad’
Born in the village of Kafr Jaafar in Egypt’s Gharbia province, Mohamed Kotb Ramadan joined the Non-Commissioned Officers Institute after completing preparatory school, graduating in 2019 before joining the Egyptian Thunderbolt Forces.
During his military service, he completed several advanced combat courses and earned a reputation as one of the battalion’s capable young fighters.
To comrades who fought beside him, however, his legacy goes beyond military skill.
For them, Al-Sayyad – “The Hunter”- remains the story of a soldier who stood his ground under fire, defended his comrades until the final moments, and became part of a generation shaped by years of war in Sinai.
