The Muslim army after capturing Damascus and Jerusalem, penetrated Anatolia intending to capture Antioch, the capital of the Asian part of the Byzantine empire.
After the conquest of Aleppo, the Muslim commander-in-chief Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah sent a column to capture Azaz, another important stronghold in southern Anatolia.
After the success of this mission, the Arabs moved westwards to capture Antioch, with Khalid ibn Walid leading the campaign with his Mobile guard.
A major battle was fought near a 9-arch stone bridge over the river Orontes. The bridge was called the “Iron Bridge” because its two gates were trimmed with iron blades. The location is around 20 km from Antioch, near modern-day Mahruba, Syria.
Khalid ibn Walid played a prominent role with his Mobile guard. The Byzantine forces suffered heavy losses and were defeated. The Arabian army moved up and laid siege to Antioch.
The city surrendered a few days later, on October 30, 637. According to the pact, the defeated Byzantine soldiers were allowed to depart in peace.
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