▁and ▁northern ▁Ber ber ▁territ ories ▁in ▁North ▁Africa ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁the ▁Arab s ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁move ▁across ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Ber ber ▁world , ▁inv ading ▁Vis ig oth ic ▁Spain ▁through ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁alleg edly ▁Ber ber ▁general ▁T ari q ▁ibn - Z iy ad . ▁But ▁this ▁happened ▁only ▁after ▁they ▁developed ▁a ▁naval ▁power ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁and ▁they ▁conquer ed ▁and ▁destroyed ▁the ▁By z antine ▁strong hold ▁of ▁Car th age ▁between ▁ 6 9 5 – 6 9 8 . ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁Africa ▁meant ▁that ▁soon , ▁By z antine ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Mediter rane an ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁and ▁expand ing ▁Arab ▁fleet , ▁operating ▁from ▁Tun is ia . ▁ ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁began ▁cons olid ating ▁the ▁Arab ▁territory ▁from ▁the ▁Ar al ▁Sea ▁to ▁the ▁western ▁border ▁of ▁Egypt . ▁He ▁put ▁a ▁governor ▁in ▁place ▁in ▁Egypt ▁at ▁al - F ust at , ▁and ▁launched ▁ra ids ▁into ▁An atol ia ▁in ▁ 6 6 3 . ▁Then ▁from ▁ 6 6 5 ▁to ▁ 6 8 9 ▁a ▁new ▁North ▁African ▁campaign ▁was ▁launched ▁to ▁protect ▁Egypt ▁" from ▁fl ank ▁attack ▁by ▁By z antine ▁Cy rene ". ▁An ▁Arab ▁army ▁of ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁took ▁Bar ca , ▁defe ating ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁By z ant ines