Mahdia campaign of 1123

The Mahdia campaign of 1123 was a military operation launched by the Normans against the Zirid dynasty as revenge for a raid that happened in Nicotera launched by the Almoravids in which the Zirids were accused of helping them.

Background
In 1122, an Almoravid fleet attacked and raided Nicotera. The Normans claimed that the Zirid dynasty assisted the Almoravids in launching this attack. In response, Roger II sent Christodulus and George of Antioch on an expedition to Mahdia in July 1123.

Campaign
The Norman army was composed of about 20 ships with close to 1000 horses. The Norman forces set sail from the port of Marsala, but a storm scattered them, and many were shipwrecked. What remained of this force attacked Pantelleria, with the island being pillaged and its inhabitants either massacred or enslaved. From there, the fleet headed for Ifriqiya.

The fortress of El-Dimas is placed under siege, and the Norman forces manage to capture the fort. However, the Zirid leader, Abu'l-Hasan al-Hasan ibn Ali roused his people into a holy war against the Normans, and two days later, they marched towards the fort of El-Dimas at night. They routed the Norman troops towards their ships, abandoning the Norman garrison in El-Dimas. The Normans left 400 horses, and the Muslims seized all their remains and massacred those who were unable to embark.

The Norman fleet sailed near the coast in vain in an attempt to rescue their comrades in the fort. However, due to bad weather and the efforts of the Zirids, the Normans were unable to land and sailed back home. The Zirids then besieged the isolated Normans in the fort. The Normans launched a sortie against the Muslims, however, they were defeated and slain to the last man after a siege of 16 days that ended on August 9.