Yalbugha's power was challenged by the Mamluk governor of Damascus, Baydamur al-Khwarizmi, who declared a rebellion against him in Syria in the summer of 1361. In response, Yalbugha led a Mamluk army from Egypt to Syria that included al-Mansur Muhammad and the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tadid I. Yalbugha's show of force compelled Baydamur's partisans to defect, and Yalbugha achieved a major, albeit symbolic, victory. His return to Egypt with the sultan and the caliph was greeted with celebrations.
