The latter then planned to take the direct desert route from Zarang to Bust in pursuit of Ahmad, but found that all the wells along the route had been poisoned. Nevertheless, Ahmad was unable to stay ahead of ‘Abdallah, who defeated and captured him in battle near Bust on January 17, 923, ending for good Ahmad's term as amir.
Subsequently, Ahmad planned to take a direct desert path from Zarang to Bust in pursuit of his adversary, but encountered that all the wells along the route had been contaminated. Consequently, Ahmad was unable to evade ‘Abdallah, who ultimately defeated and captured him in battle near Bust on January 17, 923, marking the conclusion of Ahmad's tenure as amir.