sun . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 9 1 3 ▁an ▁army , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁e un uch ▁B adr , ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁of ▁É cija , ▁at ▁some ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁capital . ▁All ▁the ▁city ' s ▁fort ifications ▁were ▁destroyed , ▁aside ▁from ▁the ▁cit adel , ▁which ▁was ▁left ▁as ▁residence ▁of ▁the ▁governor ▁and ▁a ▁g arrison ▁for ▁the ▁em iral ▁troops . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁spring , ▁after ▁si xty - five ▁days ▁of ▁met icul ous ▁prepar ations , ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁personally ▁led ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁his ▁real m . ▁His ▁troops ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁recover ▁the ▁cor as ▁( pro vin ces ) ▁of ▁Ja én ▁and ▁Gran ada , ▁while ▁a ▁caval ry ▁det achment ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁free ▁M ál aga ▁from ▁ibn ▁H af sun ' s ▁sie ge . ▁He ▁also ▁obtained ▁the ▁capit ulation ▁of ▁F i ñ ana ▁( in ▁the ▁modern ▁province ▁of ▁Al mer ía ), ▁after ▁setting ▁fire ▁to ▁its ▁sub ur bs . ▁Sub sequently , ▁he ▁moved ▁against ▁the ▁castle ▁of ▁J uv iles ▁in ▁the ▁Al pu j arr as . ▁After ▁dev ast ating ▁its ▁coun tr ys ide ▁to ▁dep rive ▁it ▁of ▁any ▁resource , ▁he ▁enc irc led ▁it . ▁F inding ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁bomb ard ▁with ▁cat ap ult s , ▁he ▁ordered ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁platform ▁where ▁his ▁sie ge ▁engines ▁could ▁be