A missile strike attributed to Houthi forces on a training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province has resulted in the deaths of 73 security recruits, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the ongoing conflict. The incident, which occurred on Monday, has drawn international condemnation and raised concerns over the escalating violence in the region.
According to Shabwa province’s media office, ballistic missiles targeted the Martyr Ahmed al-Sulaimani Training Centre, where recruits were preparing to join the internal security forces. Initial reports indicated that 53 individuals had died, but this figure was later revised to 73, with an additional 14 recruits reported missing, as confirmed by Governor Awad bin al-Wazir.
Hospitals in Shabwa were overwhelmed by the influx of casualties, prompting the transfer of critically injured individuals to facilities in the neighboring Hadramout and Aden regions. Shabwa’s deputy governor, Fahad al-Khalifi, described the situation as dire, with medical resources stretched thin.
International Reactions and Allegations
Yemen’s Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, condemned the attack as a war crime, asserting that the training centre was not a legitimate military target. He accused the Houthis of attempting to fabricate a media victory to bolster their morale amid ongoing military setbacks. In contrast, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed the missiles were aimed at a gathering of “Saudi enemy” forces at the al-Alam camp, which he alleged was operated by Saudi officers. There has been no immediate response from Saudi authorities regarding these claims.
Broader Context of the Conflict
This missile strike comes amid a resurgence of violence in Yemen, which has been embroiled in civil war since 2014. The conflict escalated significantly in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore the internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa. A fragile ceasefire that had been in place for four years began to deteriorate in July, coinciding with Houthi declarations of a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia and a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi infrastructure.
In a separate incident, Houthi-run media reported that a Saudi airstrike on a residential area in the Sahar district of Saada killed at least 10 people, including women and children, and injured 23 others. The Houthi health ministry claimed that 141 individuals had died in Saudi airstrikes over the past seven weeks, while the Yemeni government reported a total of 1,282 fatalities across the conflict since August 6.
The ongoing hostilities have not only devastated Yemen but have also led to casualties in Saudi Arabia, where at least 19 people have died due to Houthi attacks on airports since early October. As the conflict continues to escalate, the humanitarian situation in Yemen remains critical, with millions in need of assistance.
For further details, refer to BBC News.
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