[7] In early 1548, the city of Aden rose in rebellion against Ottoman rule and the local inhabitants dispatched envoys to Portuguese Goa, offering to become vassals of the King of Portugal and allowing them to install a garrison in the city in exchange for protection against the Turks.

[8] Dom Álvaro, therefore, decided to take his flotilla to Ash-Shihr and expunge the fort near al-Shihr, which was captured by the Kathiri Sultan Badr.

The ruler of Al Mahra Sa'd bin Afrar and his brother asked the Portuguese for aid because the Kathiri sultan Badr captured Mahrah country, Qishn, and its provinces,[9][10] The Kathiris raised a white flag, then a red one, and opened fire on the Portuguese.

[11] Dom Álvaro had it bombarded, albeit with meager results, as he lacked heavy artillery and around 40 Portuguese killed.

[12][13] Sometime later two large galliots arrived with siege guns, with which the Portuguese were able to batter the walls of the fort heavily, and within a short, the garrison sent Sulaimân bin Sa'd bin Sulaimân al-Muhammadï who sought to surrender in exchange for freedom,[14] The fort was stormed on April 7 and the Kathiri garrison was entirely slaughtered.