An attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province killed 58 people and injured 200 on Monday, according to Governor Awad al-Wazir. Fourteen others remained missing after the bombardment of Al-Alam camp, he said.
Local authority sources, speaking anonymously, said Houthi forces launched three ballistic missiles during a training exercise. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree acknowledged targeting the camp and said Saudi forces operated it. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Video from Shabwa verified by Reuters showed injured people and bodies at the site.
The strike comes amid renewed fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The sides have exchanged attacks since the Houthis advanced in September toward territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major shipping passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Government forces began an operation this month to recapture Houthi-held territory and have regained ground near the strait. Meanwhile, the Houthis have besieged Taiz, a major center of anti-Houthi resistance in Yemen’s southern highlands. Shabwa, a coastal province with energy resources, contains the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility.
The conflict has also drawn in regional powers. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have included strikes targeting Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil company Saudi Aramco. Amid the attacks, organizers postponed Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative Conference, previously scheduled for October 26 to 29, until 2027. The organizers said they would announce new dates soon.
Yemen’s war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and the government moved south. A Saudi-led intervention followed in 2015, and the parties reached a truce in 2022. The truce held until renewed fighting began this year. Aid agencies warn that humanitarian conditions are deteriorating as the fighting continues.