Yemeni government forces take Samaa Fortress in Taiz after fierce clashes with the Houthis

Yemeni government forces have taken control of Samaa Fortress, southeast of the city of Taiz, after fierce clashes with Houthi fighters, as Al Jazeera reports, citing the state news agency Saba.

A military source told Saba that the armed forces, backed by local popular resistance fighters of the Samaa district, took the fortress after “violent battles” with Houthi fighters.

According to the same source, dozens of Houthi fighters were killed or wounded and others fled their positions.

The capture of the fortress comes amid an escalation of fighting in Taiz province, where government forces are trying to halt the Houthis’ advance towards strategic areas overlooking supply routes.