After Aleim betrayed Berkri (near Van) to the Byzantines, his son went to Constantinople to claim his reward, but was ignored. He returned furious to Berkri and persuaded his father to take the fort back. The attack was made easier by the fact that the Byzantine commander, Nikolaos Chryselios the Bulgarian, neglected the defences. Aleim came to an agreement with neighbouring Turks, and recaptured the fort by a night attack, killing 6,000 Byzantine troops. Aleim was reinstated in his position. [This Byzantine-Arab narrative is paralleled by a rather less convincing Byzantine-Armenian story in Aristakes:] Aleim's role is played by Xtrik, but he lost control of the fort when it was captured by Kabasilas the governor of Vaspurakan. Xtric was held captive in the fort, but he conspired with the Turks to recapture the place, helped by the replacement of Kabasilas by another Byzantine who neglected the defences. Xtric massacred 24,000 (!) Byzantines, and arranged to bathe in their blood