Battle of Taiz (2015-2016)

Battle of Taiz (2015)
Part of the Yemeni civil war (2015–present) and Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Aerial view of the city of Taiz
Date 15 April 2015 – present (2 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days) Location Taiz Governorate, Yemen 13°34′44″N 44°01′19″E / 13.578889°N 44.021944°E / 13.578889; 44.021944 Status Ongoing Ceasefire enforced from 11–17 April 2016; Broken on 18 April 2016. Houthis capture Southern Taiz Houthis cut off supply routes between Taiz and Aden. Loyalists retake Mokha and west of Taiz governorate during Operation Golden Arrow. Entering Hodeidah Province after liberated Khokah
Belligerents
Supreme Revolutionary Committee/Supreme Political Council Houthi fighters Security Forces (pro-Saleh) (2015-17) Republican Guard (2015-17)	Hadi government Security Forces (pro-Hadi) Islah fighters People's Committees Popular resistance Salafist militias (from late 2015) Foreign intervention:  Saudi Arabia(leader)  Bahrain  Egypt  Jordan  Kuwait  Morocco  Sudan  United Arab Emirates	Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Ansar al-Sharia
Commanders and leaders
Abdu Al Janadi (Houthi Governor of Taiz) Ameen Haydan † (Houthi Deputy Governor of Taiz) Abu Ali Hakim Abdullah al-Houthi (Houthi field commander) Abu Bassam † (Field commander)	Major General Ahmed Saif Al Yafei †(Yemeni Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff) Ali al-Maamari (Taiz governor-in-exile) Rashad al-Akahali(Taiz deputy governor-on-exile) Major General Khalid Fadhel (Commander of Taiz military region) Sheikh Hamoud al-Mikhlafi (Popular Resistance commander) Dhia Al Haq (Popular resistance leader in Taiz) Major-General Mohamed al-Awni † (local pro-Hadi commander) Abu al-Abbas (Leader of the Salafist militias) Col. Abdullah al-Sahyan † (Saudi Special Forces commander) Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi † (Special forces officer) Brig Gen Saleh Salem Saleh †(1st Brigade commander)	Qasim al-Raymi Abu al-Zubair al-Adani † Karim Sarhan †
Strength
More than 30,000	Pro-government forces: 10,000 to 15,000 Salafist militias: 500 members	Unknown
Casualties and losses
2,000 killed (1,350 civilians) 1,600+ civilians killed (Taiz residents claimed) 29,858 people displaced (in Taiz city only)
Location within Yemen

Ongoing

Supreme Revolutionary Committee/Supreme Political Council

Hadi government

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

The Battle of Taiz is a military confrontation between opposing Yemeni forces in the city of Taiz for control of the Taiz city and around area. The battle began one month after the start of the civil war.

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. One demonstrator was killed and five more were injured.