Not unreasonably, Mariam Abdelghaffa had imagined her life as a grandmother would be somewhat different. As it was, on the morning of 11 August, she found herself bent double in a trench, awaiting the next onslaught.
It arrived after dawn. She aimed her ancient AK-47 at the pickup trucks racing towards her. Rockets screeched overhead. Suicide drones the size of light aircraft loomed above. Shells rained down.
