At 1923 an explosive charge was lowered into the stairwell of the embassy from a skylight. The resulting explosion and confusion was the signal for the SAS to move in. Eight SAS men abseiled down two ropes from the roof at the rear of the building. But one of the men got entangled in his ropes. This meant the others immediately below him could not use their explosive charges to blow in the windows for fear of injuring him. Instead they hacked their way in, threw in stun grenades, and then moved into the embassy.