The Elamites, who were skilled archers, were frequently at war with the Assyrians over control of southern Mesopotamia. The strength of the Elamite army lay in their skilled archers. Their chariots were pulled by mules, unlike those of the Assyrians which were drawn by horses. Around 655 BC, the Assyrian army of Ashurbanipal won an important victory over the Elamites at Til-Tuba on the Ulai river in the plain of Susa.
