Battle of Wadi al-Laban

This conflict took place in a context of tensions between Algeria and Morocco.^[2][3][4] Hasan Pasha son of Hayreddin Barbarossa, the ruler of the Regency of Algiers on behalf of the Ottoman Empire, captured Fes from the Saadians in early 1554 and installed a Wattasid client. The Saadian ruler Mohammed al-Shaykh recaptured the city later that year.^[1] Following the return of the Saadians, numerous conflicts broke out between Algeria and Morocco, which tried to annex the Algerian city of Tlemcen.^[5] Mohammed al-Shaykh subsequently sought an alliance with the Spaniards who were occupying Oran at the time and were fighting the Ottomans as well, but the agreement failed to materialize.

Hasan Pasha, the son of Barbarossa, was reappointed beylerbey of Algiers by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman I in June 1557. The Ottomans sent the Saadian sultan an embassy demanding he recognize the overlordship of the Ottoman sultan, which Mohammed al-Shaykh refused.^[1] Mohammed al-Shaykh was then assassinated in October 1557 by Turkish officers sent by Istanbul and entered into Saadian service under the pretense of being deserters. He was succeeded by Abdallah al-Ghalib.^[1]

Meanwhile, the Saadians had occupied Tlemcen in 1556 but failed to capture the Machouar palace while the Ottoman Algerians were busy besieging the Spaniards in Oran. After Mohammed al-Shaykh's death, Hasan Pasha marched west, forcing the Saadians to abandon Tlemcen.^[1]

Led by Hasan Pasha, the Ottoman force pursued the retreating Saadian army into Morocco.^[1][6] An indecisive battle between the two sides took place in Wadi al-Laban to the north of Fez in early 1558.^[1][7][8][9]