The Battle of Sinafiye, to some extent, caught Ding Zhennan by surprise.
The enemy did not collapse at the first blow; the high-intensity air strikes affected the ground combat, illuminating the Empire Army's lack of long-range strike capabilities, the vulnerability of Special Forces in conventional combat, and the coordination and cooperation characteristics of various operational units during mission execution. These issues of modern warfare and the shortcomings of the Imperial Army all surfaced and impacted this military operation.
Many problems were exposed, yet the nature of high-tech modern warfare also strengthened Ding Zhennan's confidence.
Simply put, after capturing the Euphrates River bridge at Sinafiye, Ding Zhennan no longer doubted whether the 7th Armored Division could take Baghdad.
That evening, October 3rd, Ding Zhennan issued the order for the "Advance to Baghdad."
