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The Battle of Al Mansurah was fought on February 8, 1250 between the French Crusaders led by Louis IX and an Ayyubid army led Emir Fakr-ed-din. The French had been moving towards Cairo after capturing the town on Damietta. Here they met the Ayyubid army of 70,000 at Ashmoun Canal by the town of al-Mansurah. This is the same spot where the Fifth Crusade had met earlier defeat. After a standoff of six weeks, a local Coptic Christian showed the Crusaders a way to cross the canal and in a surprise attack they routed the Egyptians still in their encampment. Unfortunately, the French chose to follow the fleeing Egyptians to al-Mansurah despite the lack of reinforcements and they suffered heavy casualties in the process. Robert of Artois (brother of Louis IX) and William of Salisbury (leading an English force) were both killed along with most of the Knights Templar who had followed them.
