antine ▁Empire ▁and ▁weak ening ▁its ▁arm ies ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁The ▁By z antine ▁n avy ▁briefly ▁won ▁back ▁Alexand ria ▁in ▁ 6 4 5 , ▁but ▁lost ▁it ▁again ▁in ▁ 6 4 6 ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁N iki ou . ▁The ▁Islam ic ▁forces ▁ra ided ▁Sic ily ▁in ▁ 6 5 2 , ▁while ▁Cy pr us ▁and ▁Cre te ▁were ▁captured ▁in ▁ 6 5 3 . ▁ ▁Con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Ex arch ate ▁of ▁Africa ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 6 4 7 , ▁a ▁R ash id un - A rab ▁army ▁led ▁by ▁Ab dal lah ▁ibn ▁al - Sa ’ ad ▁inv aded ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Ex arch ate ▁of ▁Africa . ▁Tri polit ania ▁was ▁conquer ed , ▁followed ▁by ▁S uf et ula , ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁Car th age , ▁and ▁the ▁governor ▁and ▁self - proc laimed ▁Emperor ▁of ▁Africa ▁Gregory ▁was ▁killed . ▁Ab dal lah ' s ▁boot y - lad en ▁force ▁returned ▁to ▁Egypt ▁in ▁ 6 4 8 ▁after ▁Gregory ' s ▁successor , ▁G enn ad ius , ▁promised ▁them ▁an ▁annual ▁t ribute ▁of ▁some ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁nom ism ata . ▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁Arab ▁Empire ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁came ▁to ▁power ▁under ▁Mu aw iy ah ▁I . ▁Under ▁the ▁Um ay y ads ▁the ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁By z antine