In brief
The Houthis launched drone and missile strikes on Federal Emergency Force camps in central Yemen, killing over a dozen troops and creating a fresh flare‑up in a war that has raged since 2014. The assaults hit camps near Marib and Hadramawt, targeting facilities that the U.N. and Saudi‑led coalition say are preparing for offensive actions. Yemeni Health Minister condemned the attack as “treacherous” and Washington’s mission labelled it cowardly, echoing criticism from other international actors. After a de‑escalation truce collapsed in 2022, the Houthis intensified attacks against Saudi assets, including airports and oil facilities, while asserting they are retaliating for a Saudi blockade and an alleged air strike on Sanaa airport. The conflict, already responsible for 150,000 deaths and a widespread humanitarian crisis, remains a central flashpoint in Middle‑East geopolitics.
At least 30 Yemeni government troops died in Houthi rebel attacks on military camps in central Yemen.
Explosions from missiles and drones hit several camps run by the Emergency Forces in the al‑Ruwaik area of Marib province and the al‑Abr area of Hadramawt.
Yemeni health minister Qasim Bahibah called the assault treacherous, warning it was designed to destabilise security and stability around the country.
A Houthi spokesman said the attacks targeted “large Saudi military build‑ups” preparing for an offensive, claiming the raids were a retaliation for Saudi buildup in the region.
No immediate statements came from the Saudi-led coalition or the Saudi government at the time of the incident.
Washington’s mission to Yemen denounced the attacks as cowardly and an example of the group's “terrorism against the Yemeni people.”
Yemen’s civil war erupted in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, the capital, and the conflict intensified in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore the former government’s rule.
The fighting has killed more than 150,000 people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 22 million people requiring aid, according to the U.N.
The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia largely paused after an informal truce in 2022.
In recent weeks, the Houthis escalated their campaign, imposing a maritime embargo on Saudi shipping and launching a series of missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers across the Red Sea.
The rebels claim their actions are a response to Saudi blockades of ports and airports in their territory, and an air strike on Sanaa airport they blame on Saudi forces, despite a contrary statement from the Yemeni government.
