Battle of Taiz (2015-present)

Battle of Taiz (2015)
Part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015)
Aerial view of the city of Taiz
Date 15 April 2015 – present (9 months and 1 day) Location Taiz Governorate, Yemen Result 35th Armored Brigade defects to Hadi Houthis & allies capture the 35th Armored Brigade's base Pro-Hadi forces recapture most of the city on 16 August[1] Houthis impose a siege on the Hadi-controlled parts of the city, which results in hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped without food or water
Belligerents
Houthi government[2] Houthi fighters Security Forces (pro-Saleh) Republican Guard	Hadi government Security Forces (pro-Hadi) Islah fighters Popular Resistance Committees Foreign intervention  Saudi Arabia[3][4] (leader)  Bahrain[5]  Egypt[5][6]  Jordan[5]  Kuwait[5]  Morocco[5]  Sudan[5]  United Arab Emirates[5]
Casualties and losses
270-300 killed[7][8][9]	115-130 killed[7][8][9][10]
1,300 civilians killed[11]

Part of a series on the Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)
Main topics Yemeni Revolution Yemeni presidential election, 2012 Houthi insurgency in Yemen al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen South Yemen insurgency Houthi takeover in Yemen Aftermath of the Houthi takeover in Yemen Yemeni Civil War (2015)
Background History of Yemen Yemeni unification

The Battle of Taiz is an ongoing military confrontation between opposing Yemeni forces in the city of Taiz for control of the 35th Armored Brigade base took place one month after the start of the civil war, culminating with the takeover of the barracks by pro-Houthi fighters.

Background

Houthi forces backed by troops loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's influential former president and General People's Congress party head, swept into Taiz on 22 March, capturing the military airport and other key parts of the city. They encountered little resistance, although Houthi gunmen reportedly fired into the air to disperse protests.^[12] One demonstrator was killed and five more were injured.^[13]

Two days later, five demonstrators were killed by the Houthis and 80 were injured during a protest on 24 March against their presence in the city, while in the city of Al Turba, 80 km to the southwest, three protesters were killed and 12 injured while attacking a Houthi position.^[14]

On 11 April, pro-Houthi soldiers and fighters loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi both reportedly mobilised around Taiz, with the 35th Armoured Brigade deploying on the city streets and anti-Houthi militiamen taking up positions north of the city, amid Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in the area. The 22nd Republican Guards Brigade was hit by an airstrike, as was the village of Al-Dhahirah in the Mawiyah District, the next day.^[15]

The battle

By 15 April 2015, Yemeni military sources reported that five pro-Saleh military brigades defected throughout the country, with one of them battling Houthis in the Taiz Governorate.^[16]

Airstrikes pounded Republican Guard and Houthi military positions in and around Taiz on 17 April. A government official in Taiz told Xinhua that the airstrikes had caused dozens of injuries and virtually destroyed Taiz's infrastructure, as well as the military bases they struck.^[17]

Between 17 and 18 April, at least 30 people were killed when Houthi gunmen, supported by the elite Republican Guard, assaulted the headquarters of the 35th Armoured Army Brigade, which had announced its loyalty to Hadi.^[17] The dead included 8–16 pro-Hadi and 14–19 Houthi fighters,^[7][8] as well as three civilians.^[18] Another report put the number of dead at 85.^[19] On the morning of 19 April, 10 more Houthi and four pro-Hadi fighters were killed.^[9]

On 22 April, Houthi forces captured the pro-Hadi brigade's military base in Taiz. An air-strike was conducted against the base shortly after its capture.^[20] 10 pro-Hadi soldiers were killed in the battle for the base.^[10]

Four days later, residents reported pro-Hadi forces captured several city districts from the Houthis.^[21] Fighting was heaviest around government and security buildings in the city center, with some 20 civilians being killed.^[22] The WHO put the death toll at 19 civilians, after the local Al-Thawra hospital was hit.^[23]

Fighting broke out in Taiz on 16 May, despite a five-day ceasefire agreed to by the Houthis, military factions, and Saudi-led coalition. At least a dozen civilians and a number of fighters on both the pro-Houthi and pro-Hadi sides were killed.^[24]

By 5 August 2015, Pro-Hadi forces at Ta'izz had received reinforcements from the south, allowing them to capture 75% of Ta'izz.^[25]

On 16 August 2015, only days after a large-scale Pro-Hadi offensive in southern Yemen, Pro-Hadi forces, backed by Saudi airstrikes, recaptured most of the city of Ta'izz. However, Houthis has managed to reversed loyalist gains capturing a number of strategic positions of Al-Salih Gardens, along with areas of the Al-Dabab Mountain region after weeks of losses, while loyalist attributed the retreat due to lack of military equipment, compared to Houthis forces in the area whom enjoyed an advantage in terms of supplies.^[26]

See also

• Yemeni Revolution
• Battle of Taiz (2011)
• Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen (2015–present)

References

Yemeni Civil War Part of Aftermath of the 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état Past events Battle of Amran Battle of Sana'a Battle of Radaa 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état Abduction of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak Battle of Sanaa Constitutional declaration for the Houthis Agreements Peace and national partnership agreement Agreement January 21, 2015 Battles Battle of Aden Airport Battle of Aden Battle of Ad Dali' Lahij insurgency Battle of Marib (2015) Battle of Taiz Shabwah campaign Abyan campaign Other 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings Hota Massacre Battle of Al Mukalla Bombing Marzaq camp Bombing Dahra Parties and powers Mansur Hadi Government Military of Yemen South resistance People's Committees in Yemen Southern Movement Yemen's tribes Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance Forces Fourth Military Region Armored brigade 35 111 Infantry Brigade Third Military Region 112 Infantry Brigade Houthis Government Revolutionary Committee Houthis Army Pro-Ali Abdullah Saleh Republican Guard Forces Republican Guard Special Operations Forces Special Security Forces Yemeni Air Force People Mansur Hadi Government Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi Khaled Bahah Mahmoud al-Subaihi Thabit Jawas Houthis Government and their allies Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi Abu Ali Al Hakim Mohammed Ali al-Houthi Saleh Al Samad Abdul-Khaliq al-Huthi army Pro-Ali Abdullah Saleh Ali Abdullah Saleh Ahmed Saleh Abdullah Dabaan Abdul-Hafiz al-Saqqaf Abdul Razzaq Almrona Abdullah Khairan Zakaria Yahya al-Shami Hussein Khairan Places Sana'a Taiz Governorate Taiz Mocha, Yemen Lahij Governorate Lahij Aden Ad Dali' Governorate Reactions external Military 2015 military intervention in Yemen Timeline of Operation Restoring Hope