Houthi missile strike kills at least 50 at Yemen military camp

At least 50 Yemeni government forces were killed in a missile strike by Houthi rebels on a military camp in Shabwa province, according to military officials cited by DW English and Al Jazeera English.

The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles targeting the al-Alam camp on Monday during a training exercise for new recruits, as reported by Al Jazeera. Initial casualty figures were lower but later rose to at least 50 dead and approximately 200 wounded, with some in critical condition, according to provincial authorities and the Associated Press.

Hospitals in the area have been overwhelmed by the number of casualties, leading to the transfer of severely injured patients to other provinces, said Fahad al-Khalifi, deputy governor of Shabwa, as reported by DW English.

This attack is among the deadliest in the recent escalation of violence in Yemen, where fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed government has intensified following renewed conflict triggered by regional tensions, according to Al Jazeera.

The Houthis have recently seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast, prompting a counteroffensive by Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, including the 'Dawn of Yemen' operation aimed at reclaiming Houthi-held areas such as the capital Sanaa.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have increased attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil company Aramco, with Saudi authorities issuing alerts about hostile aerial threats, as noted by Al Jazeera.