Houthi Missile Strike Kills Over 50 Security Recruits in Yemen

More than 50 security personnel were killed and at least 200 injured in a Houthi missile strike on a camp in Yemen's central Shabwa province, according to local authorities. The attack targeted the al-Alam camp, which was reportedly being used as a training center for recruits to the security forces and police.

A spokesman for the Saudi-backed Yemeni armed forces stated that the Iran-backed Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at the camp, located near Ataq city. The head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, condemned the incident as a "criminal attack" and vowed a "firm response." The Houthis' military spokesman claimed responsibility, stating the missiles targeted "Saudi enemy concentrations."

This strike is one of the most lethal reported since a recent escalation in Yemen's civil war. Pro-government forces, with air support from a Saudi-led coalition, launched an offensive in early October aiming to retake Houthi-controlled territory in western Yemen. They have regained ground on the Red Sea coast, including areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Shabwa province's media office reported that the Martyr Ahmed al-Sulaimani Training Centre was struck by ballistic missiles, with recruits from several provinces undergoing training. Preliminary assessments indicated 53 deaths and over 200 wounded. Hospitals in the province were overwhelmed, transferring critically injured individuals to neighboring Hadramout and Aden, according to Shabwa's deputy governor. Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani called the attack a war crime, asserting the training center was not a military target, and accused the Houthis of attempting to boost morale and obscure battlefield setbacks.

The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, reiterated that the camp was run by Saudi officers and targeted "Saudi enemy" forces. Saudi authorities have not yet commented on the attack.

In a separate incident, Houthi-run media reported that a Saudi airstrike on a home in the Saada province killed at least 10 people, including women and children, and injured 23 others. The Houthi-run health ministry claims 141 people have been killed in Saudi strikes over the past seven weeks, while Yemen's government health ministry reported at least 1,282 conflict-related deaths across Yemen since August 6. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have resulted in at least 19 deaths in attacks targeting the kingdom's airports since the beginning of October.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, escalating in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the government. A fragile informal ceasefire that began in July has reportedly been deteriorating, with the Houthis announcing a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure, which they state are retaliations for a perceived blockade and prior airstrikes.