 As @-@ Salih Ayyub returned to Damascus to keep an eye on developments in northern Syria . Al @-@ Ashraf Musa of Homs had ceded the important stronghold of <unk> to as @-@ Salih Ayyub the previous winter , perhaps to underline their patron @-@ client relationship . This troubled the Ayyubids of Aleppo who feared it would be used as a base for a military take @-@ over of their city . An @-@ Nasir Yusuf found this intolerable and decided to annex Homs in the winter of 1248 . The city surrendered in August and an @-@ Nasir Yusuf 's terms forced al @-@ Ashraf Musa to hand over Homs , but he was allowed to retain nearby Palmyra and Tell Bashir in the Syrian Desert . As @-@ Salih Ayyub sent Fakhr ad @-@ Din to recapture Homs , but Aleppo countered by sending an army to Kafr Tab , south of the city . An @-@ Nasir Dawud left Karak for Aleppo to support an @-@ Nasir Yusuf , but in his absence , his brothers al @-@ Amjad Hasan and az @-@ Zahir Shadhi detained his heir al @-@ Mu 'azzam Isa and then personally went to as @-@ Salih Ayyub 's camp at al @-@ <unk> in Egypt to offer him control of Karak in return for holdings in Egypt . As @-@ Salih Ayyub agreed and sent the eunuch Badr al @-@ Din <unk> to act as his governor in Karak . 
