Yemen Houthi attack kills 73 at security training camp

The death toll from a Houthi missile attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province has risen to 73, local authorities said on Tuesday. More than 200 people were injured, while 14 others remained missing.

Three ballistic missiles struck the camp on Monday while security personnel were undergoing training, according to local officials. The attack left dozens dead and wounded, with footage showing injured people and bodies scattered across the ground.

Shabwa Governor Awad al-Wazir confirmed that more than 200 people had sustained injuries. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the camp was operated by Saudi forces. Saudi authorities had not immediately commented on the allegation.

The attack comes amid escalating clashes between Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement and the internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The violence intensified in September after the Houthis advanced towards areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Yemeni government forces launched an offensive this month to recapture areas controlled by the Houthis and regained ground near the strait. Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to besiege Taiz, a major stronghold of anti-Houthi forces in Yemen’s southern highlands.

The conflict has also become linked to the wider US-Israeli war on Iran. Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s international airport and facilities operated by Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest crude oil exporter.

Shabwa is an energy-rich coastal province overlooking the Gulf of Aden. It is home to the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility, one of Yemen’s largest industrial investments.

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to relocate south. A Saudi-led military intervention followed in 2015, but the conflict largely remained deadlocked despite a truce in 2022.

The latest escalation threatens to worsen conditions in a country already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.