 Aussaresses knew that the FLN was planning something when one of his informers, an Arab baker in Philippeville, told him that he used to sell on average a sack of flour every three days, but was now selling two tons of flour everyday, to men whom he did not know and only paid cash.From this, Aussaresses deducted that the spike in flour sales must have been because the FLN was concentrating men in the hills above Philippeville, which only mean an operation was due to start soon.After this, a more proactive policy was adopted, which resulted in the discovery of the FLN's plan to launch a massive frontal assault on August 20 at noon, with the primary objective of taking Philippeville.