Battle of Ismailia (1952)

Battle of Ismailia
Part of the decolonisation of Africa
Egyptian forces during the engagement
Date 25 January 1952 Location Ismailia, Kingdom of Egypt Result British victory Cairo fire Attacks on British soldiers by Egyptian guerrillas in the Suez Canal Zone increase and get more violent Egyptian Revolution of 1952
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Egypt
Commanders and leaders
George Erskine Kenneth Exham	Fouad Serageddin Ahmed Raef Salah Zulfikar Mostafa Refaat
Strength
7,000 soldiers 6 tanks	880 policemen
Casualties and losses
13 killed 22 wounded	56 killed 73 wounded

The Battle of Ismailia was an armed confrontation which took place in the Egyptian city of Ismailia on 25 January 1952 between the British Army and Egyptian police. After British forces led by George Erskine tracked a group of fedayeen to a government building in Ismailia, the policemen inside refused to acceded to British demands to come outside, surrender their weapons and evacuate the region. When the building's occupants shot and killed a British negotiator, Erskine ordered his troops to attack and capture the building.

In the ensuing confrontation, which took place over two hours, the British captured the building after suffering 13 killed and 22 wounded. 56 Egyptian policemen were killed and 73 wounded, and when news of the engagement was publicized the next day it sparked the Cairo fire and eventually led to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution.