At least 53 killed in Houthi missile attack on military camp in Yemen

At least 53 people were killed and around 200 others injured in a ballistic missile attack by Houthi rebels on a military training camp in southern Yemen on Monday, local authorities said.

Three ballistic missiles struck the al-Alam training camp in Shabwa province while newly recruited security personnel were undergoing training, according to Yemeni military officials.

The provincial authorities said the death toll was preliminary and could rise. The injured recruits were taken for medical treatment.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi condemned the attack and pledged a firm response.

He also directed authorities to ensure medical care for the wounded and provide assistance to the families of those killed.

The Iran-aligned Houthi movement acknowledged targeting the camp, saying it was operated by Saudi forces, although the claim had not been independently verified.

The attack comes amid escalating clashes between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks following renewed Houthi advances and attacks near strategic areas, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The latest strike is among the deadliest attacks since fighting escalated again, further undermining efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Yemen’s long-running civil war.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year.