 Rather than attempt to hold the cities that they captured, the Zanj generally opted to pillage and abandon them, after which they would move on to their next target.After mid-870 the leader of the rebellion, 'Ali ibn Muhammad, was no longer personally leading the Zanj armies into battle; he instead resided in his newly built city, al-Mukhtara, and issued orders to his military commanders in the field.Among his chief lieutenants were 'Ali ibn Aban al-Muhallabi and Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Azraq, two men who had been in the service of the Zanj leader since before the start of the revolt.