Unit 777
| Unit 777 Combat | |
|---|---|
| الوحدة 777 قتال | |
The Egyptian Unit 777
|
|
| Active | 1978 – present |
| Country |
 Egypt
|
| Allegiance | Military of Egypt |
| Branch | Egyptian Army |
| Type | Special Operations Forces |
| Role |
Special operations Counter Terrorism |
| Size | Classified |
| Part of | Thunderbolt |
| Garrison/HQ | Southern Cairo |
| Mascot(s) | The Eagle of Thunderbolt |
| Engagements |
EgyptAir Flight 321 EgyptAir Flight 648 Larnaca International Airport Raid Operation Eagle |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Classified |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter |
Westland Sea King Commando Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Mil Mi-8 CH-47 Chinook |
 Footage of Op-Global Sky
|
Unit 777 (Arabic: الوحدة 777 قتال), also known as Task Force 777, is an Egyptian military counter-terrorism and special operations unit. It was created in 1978 by the government of Anwar Sadat in response to concerns of increased terrorist activity following the expulsion of Soviet military advisors from the country by Sadat and his efforts to achieve peace with Israel.
In 1978, Egyptian Army Special Forces were dispatched to Larnaca International Airport, Larnaca, Cyprus in response to the hijacking of a Cyprus Air passenger aircraft by operatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The operation was organized hastily, and Egyptian authorities failed to notify Cyprus of the arrival of the unit. As the Egyptian commandos approached the plane on the tarmac, they were mistaken by the Cyprus security forces as terrorist reinforcements. Cypriot security forces opened fire on the approaching Egyptian SF members, who were without nearby cover and conspicuous in desert camouflage clothing. The firefight cost the lives of 15 members of the 79 members of the Egyptian commando force sent, however there were no reported Cypriot fatalities. The aftermath of the failed night-time incident and the need of a professional counter-terrorism unit in Egypt resulted in the creation of Unit 777.
On August 23rd, 1976, three armed terrorists claiming to be from the Abd Al-Nasir Movement hijacked the EgyptAir Flight 321, a Cairo-Luxor flight, and asked the pilot to land in Tripoli. One of the three hijackers was a 21-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Naguid, who was working in Kuwait. They demanded the release of five Libyans imprisoned in Cairo in connection with two assassination attempts. The context was the deterioration of relations between Egypt and Libya after the Yom Kippur War due to Libyan opposition to Sadat's peace policy. There had been a breakdown in unification talks between the two governments, which subsequently led to the Libyan-Egyptian War. Fifteen minutes after takeoff from Cairo International Airport, an Italian pilot called the airport to report that he had received a beam aerial from the Egyptian aircraft heading to Luxor that it had been hijacked and the flight was under terrorist control.
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Wikipedia