بنو كلب
In 1048, al-Mustansir dispatched an army led by the Fatimid governors of Damascus and Homs, Nasir al-Dawla ibn Hamdan and Ja'far ibn Kulayd, respectively, along with auxiliaries from the Banu Kalb, to conquer Aleppo. The Fatimid force captured Hama and Ma'arrat al-Nu'man before defeating Thimal outside of Aleppo, forcing the latter to retreat behind the city walls. In the fall of 1048, Ibn Hamdan encamped his forces at Shildi, a village on the Quwayq River in Aleppo's vicinity for the dual purpose of remaining close to the city and having access to a water supply for his troops. However, he was forced to Damascus as a result of heavy losses in men and equipment incurred when the Quwayq flooded his camp during heavy rains. Due to these natural events, Thimal was spared a potential Fatimid siege.