In brief
Iran‑backed Houthi fighters launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at a camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province, killing 53 security recruits and injuring more than 200. The camp, used to train internal security forces, was targeted according to Saudi‑backed Yemeni officials. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council condemned the attack as a crime and pledged a strong response while the Houthis claimed the strike struck “Saudi enemy concentrations.” The assault comes amid escalated fighting as Yemen’s government pushes to reclaim territory from the Houthis, with both sides continuing air and missile exchanges.
A brutal missile assault by Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi fighters on a training camp in the central Shabwa province has left more than fifty security recruits dead and hundreds wounded, local officials confirmed on Monday.
The offensive, carried out with three ballistic missiles, struck the Martyr Ahmed al‑Sulaimani Training Centre near Ataq city. Preliminary figures released by Shabwa’s media office show 53 people killed and over 200 injured, many of whom have been transported to hospitals in the neighbouring Hadramout and Aden regions.
The attack is part of a broader escalation that began in early October when pro‑government forces, backed by a Saudi‑led coalition, launched a major offensive to retake the western coast of Yemen and the Bab al‑Mandab Strait from the Houthis.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al‑Alimi denounced the strike as a “criminal attack” and vowed a “firm response.” The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, countered that the missiles targeted a gathering of “Saudi enemy” forces stationed at the camp, which he claimed was run by Saudi officers.
Information Minister Moammar al‑Eryani called the attack a war crime, arguing the training centre was not a legitimate military target. He also accused the Houthis of attempting to exaggerate their successes and conceal defeats across multiple fronts.
The latest strike follows a series of Houthi‑run drone and missile attacks on Saudi airports and energy facilities, which the coalition has responded to with air strikes in Yemen. Casualty figures from recent weeks show at least 1,282 civilians and combatants have been killed in the wider conflict since early August.
The image below shows security forces of Yemen’s internationally‑recognised government patrolling a street, a stark reminder of the daily dangers faced by those serving inside a war‑torn state.
