Raymond of Antioch had invaded the vulnerable …

Years: 1149 - 1149
June

Raymond of Antioch had invaded the vulnerable province of Aleppo (part of the Seljuq Empire), which is threatened by hostile powers on all sides since the death of Nur ad-Din's father Zengi in 1146.

Nur ad-Din, after establishing his own authority in Aleppo and successfully defending Damascus in 1147,  had invaded Antioch in late 1148 and besieged Afamiya.

Raymond had beat him back and captured his baggage train.

When he returned a few months later to attack Yaghra, Raymond, at the head of a small force, had forced him to retire to Aleppo.

Nur ad-Din invades Antioch in June 1149 and besieges the fortress of Inab, with aid from Unur of Damascus and a force of Turkmens.

Nur ad-Din has about six thousand troops, mostly cavalry, at his disposal.

Raymond and his Christian neighbor, Count Joscelin II of Edessa, have been enemies since Raymond had refused to send a relief army to Edessa in 1146.

Joscelin has even made a treaty of alliance with Nur ad-Din against Raymond.

For their part, Raymond II of Tripoli and the regent, Melisende of Jerusalem, refuse to aid the Prince of Antioch.

Feeling confident because he had twice defeated Nur ad-Din previously, Prince Raymond strikes out on his own with an army of four hundred knights and a thousand foot soldiers.

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