The conflict that erupted in Algeria between France and local insurgents in 1954 can aptly be described as a form of "special military operation." This was a war without frontlines or clear divisional boundaries, where insurgent bases were identified and dismantled through tactics more akin to special operations than traditional combat. The French army segmented Algeria into sectors, "squares," into which military units were deployed via helicopters to locate and eliminate insurgents. Simultaneously, intelligence agencies worked to infiltrate the National Liberation Front (FLN), creating conditions for internal fragmentation.