Authorities say dozens of people were killed and wounded when a Houthi missile attack struck the al-AIam military camp in southern Yemen.
The Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the camp in Shabwa governorate on Monday, during a training exercise, a spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces said. Officials in the internationally recognised government and medical sources said at least 18 people were killed and more than 30 wounded. The deputy governor of Shabwa put the number of casualties at no fewer than 40, but did not break them down into dead and injured.
Strike comes amid escalating civil war
The attack took place during ongoing fighting across Yemen. The civil war has intensified sharply since the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, took strategic territory along the Red Sea coast from government-loyal forces last month.
Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, responded with a counteroffensive and then launched the ‘Dawn of Yemen’ operation. It aims to retake Houthi-held areas, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Iran-aligned group seized in 2014.
Government vows firm response as Houthis claim responsibility
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, said those killed were new recruits and promised a ‘firm response’. He said the attack showed the Houthi militia turning to terrorism when under pressure.
A correspondent reporting from Sanaa said the Houthis had claimed responsibility, describing the target as a ‘Saudi-backed’ military base. The group has said it will keep targeting such bases, and its spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said any site with a Saudi-backed military presence would be considered a legitimate target.
Earlier, Yemeni government forces said they had targeted Houthi gatherings, vehicles and weapons in al-Aqroudh, al-Shaqab and al-Sarari, south of Taiz. The city is suffering from fuel shortages and rising prices.
