A single mortar attack can instantly shatter a base’s complacency with casualties.

Evidence

At seven one morning, Sami awoke to an explosion, the loudest noise he’d ever heard. The building rocked. The bang shook him out of bed. He walked into the open area of his building and saw two men: one lying on his back bleeding and another one staring in shock into his mangled hand. The medics were running to them. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 269