Alexios made a conventional attack on Dristra with siege engines, breached the wall and entered the city with his whole army. But he did not capture the two citadels. Tatous, the Pecheneg ruler of Dristra, had foreseen the attack on his city and gone off to enlist Cuman support. He had told his relations, who remained to defend Dristra, to fortify a dominant ridge outside the city, which would make Alexios' siege very difficult. Alexios was forced to withdraw to a fortified camp near the Danube, where he discussed whether to attack the Pecheneg army