Battle of the Iron Bridge The Battle of the Iron Bridge was fought between the Muslim Rashidun army and the Byzantine army in 637 AD . The battle was fought near a nine - arch stone bridge spanning the River Orontes , from which the battle took its name . It was one of the last battles fought between the Byzantines and Rashidun Caliphate in the province of Syria . The aftermath of the battle marked the nearly complete annexation of the province into the Rashidun Caliphate with the fall of its capital . Background . The Rashidun army had achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Yarmouk . Following this victory , they managed to gain control of the Levant . Jerusalem was conquered shortly afterwards . Rashidun forces then marched north , conquering other portions of the Levant . They penetrated into northern Syria near its borders with Anatolia intending to capture Antioch , and to secure the conquered lands from any possible threat from the north . After the conquest of Aleppo , Abu Ubaidah ibn al - Jarrah sent a column under Malik al - Ashtar to capture Azaz in Northern Syria , east of the Taurus Mountains . The capture and clearance of Azaz was essential to ensure that no large Byzantine forces remained north of Aleppo , from where they could strike at the flank and rear of the Rashidun army during the operation against Antioch . As soon as Malik rejoined the army , Abu Ubaidah marched westwards to capture Antioch , with Khalid ibn Walid leading the advance guard with his Mobile guard . The army marched westward directly from Aleppo via Harim and approached Antioch from the east . The battle . Twelve miles from the city , near modern day " Mahruba " , a bridge of iron spanned the River Orontes . It was here that the battle was fought between the Rashidun army and the Byzantine garrison defending Antioch . A major battle was fought , the details of which are not recorded . Khalid ibn Walid played a prominent role with his Mobile guard , as he had done during the Battle of Yarmouk . The Byzantine forces suffered heavy losses and were defeated . The Byzantine casualties in this battle were the highest in the Muslim conquest of Syria , with the exceptions of the battles of Ajnadayn and Yarmouk . The remnants of the Byzantine army fled to Antioch . The Rashidun army later moved up and laid siege to Antioch . The city surrendered on October 30 , 637 According to the pact , the defeated Byzantine soldiers were allowed to depart in peace . Aftermath . Following the surrender of Antioch , Rashidun army columns moved south along the Mediterranean coast and captured Latakia , Jablah and Tartus ( Syria ) , thus capturing most of north - western Syria . Other columns were sent to subdue the remaining resistance in northern Syria . Khalid ibn Walid was sent with his cavalry on a raid eastwards , up to the Euphrates in the vicinity of Munbij , but found little opposition . The campaign was ended in early January 638 . After the defeat of pro - Byzantine Christian Arab s from Al Jazira , who laid the siege of Emessa in March 638 , Abu Ubaidah sent more columns under Khalid ibn Walid and Ayadh ibn Ghanam to subdue Jazira near the Syrian frontiers and in Anatolia . These columns went northwards as far as the Ararat plain and west towards the Taurus Mountains . The Taurus Mountains in Turkey thus marked the westernmost frontier of the Rashidun Caliphate in Anatolia .