In 1510, the Spaniards had established themselves on a small island in front of Algiers, and forced the local ruler Sālim al-Tūmī (Selim-bin-Teumi) to accept their presence through a treaty and pay tribute.

Oruç, with the help of local troops,[11] came to Algiers with his ally Ahmad al-Kadi of the Kingdom of Kuku and an army composed of 800 Turks and 5,000 Kabyle auxiliaries.

[13][14] The Moors gave a huge triumph to Oruç,[15] but after failing to take the Peñón of Algiers from the Spanish, he ordered Sālim strangled because Salim was conspiring with the Spaniards against him.

[19] The Arab and Bedouin horsemen who, from the beginning of the action had remained posted in compact masses on the neighboring heights, to plunder, according to their custom, the vanquished, rushed like a hurricane on the Spaniards as soon as they saw them shaken.

This support was discontinued with Sultan Selim's death in 1520, causing Barbarossa to lose the city to a local kabyle chieftain in 1524,[12] and to retreat to his fief of Djidjelli.