Houthi missile strike on Yemen training camp kills 53 security recruits

A missile strike on a training centre in Yemen’s central Shabwa province killed 53 recruits to the internal security forces and injured more than 200 people, the province’s media office said. The attack hit al-Alam camp near Ataq.

Local authorities said three ballistic missiles struck the facility, where recruits from several provinces were training. Hospitals in Shabwa were overwhelmed, and some of the most seriously wounded were transferred to Hadramout and Aden, according to the province’s deputy governor.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi condemned the attack and promised a firm response. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani called it a war crime, saying the internal security training centre was not a military target.

Claims about the strike’s target

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the missiles targeted a concentration of “Saudi enemy” forces at al-Alam camp, which he said was run by Saudi officers. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.

Monday’s attack was among the deadliest reported since the recent escalation began. A video posted on social media appeared to show bodies on the ground, but the source did not report independent verification of the footage.

Fighting continues across Yemen

At the start of October, pro-government forces launched an offensive to retake territory held by the Houthis in western Yemen. With support from a Saudi-led Arab coalition, they regained areas on the Red Sea coast overlooking the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Fighting continues around the besieged government-held city of Taiz and in Marib and al-Jawf provinces. The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks on airports, energy facilities and military bases in Saudi Arabia.

Separately, Houthi-run media reported that a Saudi air strike on a home in Saada province killed at least 10 people and injured 23 on Sunday. The Houthi-run health ministry said 141 people had been killed in Saudi strikes over seven weeks, while the government’s health ministry said at least 1,282 people had died in the conflict across Yemen since 6 August.