Hannibal's offensive against Rome during the second Punic War led Rome to intervene in Hispania. In 218 BC, a strong army disembarked at Empúries to cut of the Pyrenean passes and Hannibal's communication with his bases in the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans built a new strategic base at Tarraco for expeditions inland that could also be reached by sea. The fighting for control of the coastal area was fierce, but the Romans triumphed over the Carthaginians and their allies. Indibil and Mandoni, the leaders of the Ilergeti, began a struggle against the invader in 207 BC but were defeated and killed.