Towards the end of March the imperial army moved up to Antioch and was joined there by the troops of the Prince of Antioch and the Count of Edessa, together with a contingent of Templars. On 1 April the allies crossed into enemy territory and occupied Balat. On the 3rd they appeared before Biza’a, which held out under its commander’s wife for five days. Another week was spent in rounding up the Moslem soldiers in the district, most of whom took refuge in the grottoes of el-Baba, from whence they were smoked out by the Byzantines. Zengi was with his army before Hama from which he was trying to expel the Damascene garrison when scouts told him of the Christian invasions. He hastily sent troops under Sawar to reinforce the garrison of Aleppo. John had hoped to surprise Aleppo; but when he arrived before the walls on 20 April and launched an attack he found it strongly defended. He decided not to undertake the ardours of a siege, but turned southward. On the 22nd he occupied Athareb, on the 25th Maarat an-Numan and on the 27th Kafartab.
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