[2] The deposed sultan fled to Spanish Oran where he was well received by the governor Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba, also known as Count Alcaudete.

[8] Halfway there, a storm forced some of the ships to land temporarly on the port of Jub (in the Spanish coast),[8] but the rest reached North Africa directly.

[9] La Capitana (the ship where Count Alcaudete was) managed to reach Mers El Kébir on 15 January and the rest arrived later.

[16] Seeing the advance of the Spanish, the King of Tlemcen requested help from the Regency of Algiers and signed a treaty with Hasan Agha, but received little assistance from them.

The army gathered and prepared to defend the road to Tlemcen opposite the Isser River, although some soldiers were sent to delay the arrival of the Spanish.

Al-Mansour ben Bogani's forces, which were probably larger in number than the Tlemceni ones, tried to cut off the Spanish retreat, while Count Alcaudete had to face Ibrahim in the vanguard.

The enemy, disconcerted by the rapidity of this vanguard success, no longer dared to dispute the terrain, and the Spanish army, following its route, reached Tibda where they occupied a fortress near the river.

When night came, the count decided to camp very close to the enemy army and it was there that he received the news that the king of Tlemcen, Abu Zayyan III, was going to meet him.

[23] The news of Al-Mansour ben Bogani's defeat had worried the population of Tlemcen and, between 4 and 5 February, some inhabitants took their families and belongings out of the city and returned to fight the Spaniards.

The next day was when the Count received the news that the king had accepted the challenge and was heading towards him with an army of 45,000 men[26] and 400 Turks from the Regency of Algiers.

[24][27] Finally, in the rearguard which this time did not seem willing to support the main effort, the general sent his son Francisco to replace Martín de Córdoba, who had requested the favor of fighting with the Count himself.

[27] The army of Abu Zayyan III consisted of 1,500 lancers of the king's household, with notables from Tlemcen and some warriors from the Banu Rashid, then about 2,000 armed with muskets, crossbows and ares, commanded by the caid Ibrahim and many infantrymen.

The rearguard numbered more than 2,000 lancers, among them 1,000 elite, protected by shields and dressed in brightly colored clothing; They carried with them 400 or 500 horsemen and infantrymen armed with muskets and crossbows.

The horsemen urged him to give the signal to charge but, after consulting his cousin, Martin de Cordoba, who would not comment, the Count, believing that they were still too far away, ordered the march to continue.

Finally, before they had reached the arquebusiers occupying the hill, the ambushed troops appeared, both horse and infantry, shouting loudly and advancing vigorously up to the Spanish standards.

[30] This combat, which lasted three hours, cost the troops of the king of Tlemcen a large number of horsemen and infantrymen: almost all the Turkish forces perished.

[32][33] The Spaniards reached the gates of Tlemcen that same afternoon and the soldiers, eager to sack the city, disbanded, although the Count was able to rally the army again.

Count Alcaudete, wanting to make sure that Abu Zayyan was not thinking of fighting again, sent Martín de Córdoba to lead a reconnaissance that reached the Zitoun wadi.

[38][33] After 15 days of the arrival of the Spaniards, the Count, advised by Ibrahim, went to attack a convoy of barley and wheat that Abu Zayyan's forces had stolen from Tlemcen before leaving.

They began to threaten the outskirts of Tlemcen and attacked an isolated group of soldiers, so Count Alcaudete ordered two companies to be stationed there.

[39] Emboldened by this success, they attempted another surprise attack on 24 February but this time they were ambushed by Ibrahim, who inflicted numerous casualties on the Arabs.

[38] Finally, on 26 February,[38] Count Alcaudete signed a treaty with Abu Abdallah VI by which the Tlemceni monarch recognized himself as a vassal and tributary of Charles I of Spain.

[40] Such a long stay in Tlemcen had weakened the Spanish army, which had already suffered numerous casualties, so they began to prepare everything to return to Oran.

On the one hand, he thought it would not be a good idea because there was still a possibility of being attacked on the way back, he also planned to make another expedition to Mostaganem and all his troops were needed for the campaign.

He also collected some campaign pieces that he found in the city's arsenal and the 4 cannons that he lost during his failed expedition to Mostaganem in 1535: they had to be repaired because they hadn't been used since then.

The departure from the city was planned for 29 February but had to be postponed until the following day because the Arabs loyal to Abu Zayyan, who had been sent a challenge, negotiated as if they wanted to submit.

The large number of captives caused concern among the officers, who suggested to the Count that they should be beheaded and the loot burned,[39] but he rejected the idea, fearing to displease his army.

Count Alcaudete feared that Martin de Cordoba's forces were insufficient and ordered him to stop and defend himself but he did not listen and took possession of the bridge.

[47] Not only did the king of Tlemcen, Abu Abdallah VI, send a letter of congratulations to Count Alcaudete, but Ahmed Segheur, the commander leading the Moroccan troops, declared himself a "friend" and "ally" of the Spanish,[44] meaning that the road to Oran was open.

In late 1543 or early 1544, he began recruiting soldiers in the western provinces of the kingdom and, after gathering a considerably large army, laid siege to Tlemcen.