Three Houthi ballistic missiles slammed into a Yemeni government military training camp in the southern province of Shabwa on Monday, killing 53 people and wounding 200, local authorities said, in one of the deadliest single attacks of Yemen’s escalating war.
The strike hit the al-Alam camp while new security recruits were undergoing a training exercise, the Shabwa governorate said in a Facebook statement. Reuters had earlier reported at least 18 killed, citing four government and medical sources. The Iran-aligned Houthis did not immediately claim the attack.
- What: Three ballistic missiles struck a training exercise at the al-Alam military camp in Shabwa, Yemen.
- Death toll: 53 killed, 200 wounded, per the Shabwa governorate; early reports cited 18 dead.
- Why it matters: The attack deepens Yemen’s war as fighting intensifies around the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb shipping chokepoint.
What happened in Shabwa today
The missiles hit the training center for police and security forces while recruits were on the parade ground, Col. Majed al-Nazili told reporters. Video from Shabwa verified by Reuters showed injured people and bloodied bodies scattered across the ground. The camp, in Jardan district north of the provincial capital Ataq, was previously used by a UAE-backed militia and sits on supply lines to government-controlled Marib.
Who was behind the Shabwa missile strike
The Shabwa governorate blamed the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement directly. The Houthi-run SABA news agency acknowledged dozens killed and wounded but gave no details, and the Houthis did not immediately issue an official claim, the Anadolu Agency reported. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s ruling Presidential Leadership Council, said the dead were new recruits from around the country and promised a “firm response.”
Why this Houthi attack matters
The strike lands amid a sharp escalation: the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government have traded attacks since September, when the group advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — the Red Sea’s narrow shipping chokepoint. Government forces began a campaign this month to recapture areas near the strait, while the Houthis besiege Taiz and have escalated strikes on Saudi Arabia, hitting Riyadh’s airport and Aramco facilities and clashing with Saudi forces near Najran.
Is the Yemen war escalating again?
War broke out in Yemen in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, and a 2022 truce held until this year. With the truce broken and both sides trading blows near a critical shipping lane, aid agencies warn Yemen faces its most dangerous phase in years.
FAQs: latest update on the Houthi attack in Yemen
How many were killed in the Houthi attack in Shabwa today?
53 killed and 200 wounded, the Shabwa governorate said. Reuters first reported at least 18 dead and 30+ wounded, citing four government and medical sources, before the toll rose.
What happened at the al-Alam military camp?
Three Houthi ballistic missiles struck the Shabwa camp during a training exercise for new security recruits. Col. Majed al-Nazili confirmed the attack, and Reuters-verified video showed casualties on the ground.
What did Yemen’s government say about the missile strike?
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, said the dead were new recruits from across Yemen and promised a “firm response,” urging the Saudi-led coalition to strengthen Shabwa’s defenses.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Haaretz.
