The southwestern Yemeni city of Taiz has been mired in intense fighting ever since April 2015, but for most of this time, the conflict has effectively remained a stalemate. Over the past two years, Houthi rebels, loyalists of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh , and forces aligned with the government of current Yemeni President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi (along with their tribal allies) have entrenched themselves in different parts of the strategically important city. On May 29, however, pro-Hadi forces announced that they had captured the Republican Palace in Taiz, as well as its surrounding areas. Casualty numbers reported in the fight for the palace suggest that Houthi rebels attempted to hold the position at great cost. At least 78 Houthi fighters were reportedly killed in the advance, and 24 others were captured or surrendered.

The palace occupies an elevated location in eastern Taiz, allowing whoever controls it to establish a strong position in the city. This is why the Yemeni forces had redoubled their push to gain control of the palace over the past week. On May 25, they captured a medical school situated just below the palace, reportedly killing 27 Houthi fighters during the action. The following day, government forces reportedly reached the western gates of the palace complex, but it took three additional days of fighting to dislodge the rebels.

Taiz is the southernmost city in a mountainous belt bisecting western Yemen. Yemeni government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition , have found it difficult to penetrate this mountainous terrain, making Taiz a major defensive bulwark for the Houthis against government advances from the south. The capture of the palace does not mean the battle for Taiz has been decided. The elevated position will prove useful for government-aligned forces, but wide swathes of the city remain under the control of Houthi rebels and Saleh loyalists. And the strategic value of Taiz means the city won’t be given up easily.