Iran-backed Houthi forces fired three ballistic missiles at a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province on Monday, killing at least 73 people, according to the latest figures from Shabwa Governor Awad al-Wazir. More than 200 were wounded and 14 remain missing. It was the deadliest strike since the fighting in Yemen escalated three months ago.
Earlier counts ranged from 53 to 60 dead, and provincial authorities had warned the toll would likely climb.
The Jerusalem Post and The Algemeiner both describe Yemen as another front line in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran, as the Houthis escalate their attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil company Saudi Aramco.
The missiles hit the Al-Alam camp in the Jardan district, north of the provincial capital Ataq. The camp is run by forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government. A Yemeni military official said newly recruited soldiers were lining up for a training session when the missiles struck. Video verified by Reuters showed wounded people and bloodied bodies strewn across the ground.
Al-Wazir said the dead were new recruits from across Shabwa who were being trained to provide security in the province, not for combat. “These recruits have never before participated in any mobilization or on any front,” he said.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the strike on X, saying Saudi forces ran the camp. The Houthis also claimed that Saudi officers were among the dead, but offered no evidence. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, promised a “firm response” and accused the Houthis of resorting to terrorist attacks when they come under military pressure. Shabwa authorities called the strike a major escalation. Al-Wazir urged the deployment of additional air defenses in the province.
Shabwa is an energy-rich coastal province overlooking the Gulf of Aden. It is home to the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility, Yemen’s largest industrial investment.
Fighting has intensified since the Houthis advanced in September toward territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea. Government forces launched a campaign this month to retake Houthi-held ground and have recovered areas near the strait. Meanwhile, the Houthis are besieging Taiz.
On Monday, the group also claimed six more attacks on Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has already been forced to move its flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, to a hybrid format after deadly Houthi strikes on the capital’s airport.
