Houthi Attack Kills 58 at Yemen Government Training Camp
More than 200 injured in the strike on Shabwa province, officials report.
A Houthi missile attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province killed 58 people and injured more than 200, Governor Awad al-Wazir said on Monday.
Video verified by Reuters from the scene showed injured individuals and bodies scattered across the ground. Fourteen people remained missing following the Houthi bombardment of the Al-Alam camp, according to Wazir.
The Houthis and the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been engaged in escalating conflict. The Houthis advanced in September toward territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea.
Local authority sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at security forces during a training exercise. Shabwa, an energy-rich province overlooking the Gulf of Aden, is home to Yemen's largest industrial investment, the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility on X for targeting the training camp, asserting it was run by Saudi forces. Saudi authorities have not yet responded to requests for comment.
In response, government forces initiated a campaign this month aimed at recapturing Houthi-controlled areas and regaining ground near the strait. Concurrently, the Houthis are besieging Taiz, a significant urban stronghold for anti-Houthi forces in Yemen's southern highlands.
The conflict in Yemen has intensified, with the Houthis escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on its international airport and the state oil company Saudi Aramco. The war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, was followed by a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015. A 2022 truce had largely held until recent escalations.
Yemen faces one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with aid agencies warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions across the country.