 On 18 July, a company from the 1st Battalion of Yiftach Brigade received the order to capture Qirbet Quriqur, an outpost protecting the only way for the Legion to get to Latrun located several kilometres to the north of the place.Intelligence services had not informed the responsible officer that nearby there was another outpost, occupied by a reinforced company of the Legion.From there the legionnaires could observe all the operations of the Israelis and called for reinforcements, notably armoured vehicles.