73 Killed in Houthi Missile Strike on Yemen Government Training Camp

Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles at a government training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province, killing at least 73 new security recruits and wounding more than 200 others in the deadliest strike since fighting escalated three months ago.

Houthi Missile Strike on Shabwa Training Camp

The strike targeted the Martyr Ahmed Al-Sulaimani Training Center on the outskirts of Ataq in energy-rich Shabwa province, which contains major oil and gas fields and the Balhaf LNG terminal. [2] Local authorities initially reported 53 dead before raising the toll to 73, with 14 people still missing; all victims were new internal security force recruits undergoing training. [3] The attack on the training camp comes amid an escalation in fighting between the Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government. [2] A government military source in the province said the army feared the strikes could pave the way for a ground offensive similar to what happened in Mokha. [3] Majed al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, stated that the Houthis targeted Shabwa with three ballistic missiles and that the attack struck a training center for personnel of security and police agencies. [3] The death toll from Monday's strike on the camp in the energy-rich Shabwa province increased to 73 martyrs while search and follow-up efforts are ongoing to discover the fate of 14 missing people, provincial authorities said in a statement. [3] Local authorities had put the death toll at 53 on Monday, adding that more than 200 others were injured. [3] The government provincial statement said the attack targeted new recruits in the phase of training and preparation and is considered a military escalation of extreme criticality. [1]

Houthi Claims and Government Reactions

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the camp was a Saudi-operated site called Al-Alam run by a Saudi officer and that some Saudi personnel were killed. [3] A Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Monday that Houthi forces targeted a Saudi naval task force camp. [2] Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani condemned the strike, describing it as a war crime and saying the facility was a training center rather than a military target linked to active combat operations. [2] Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, promised a firm response. [1] The government provincial statement called on the president of Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition and the government to accelerate the supply of air defense and early warning systems to strengthen Shabwa's capabilities. [1] The Saudi government did not comment at the time. [1]

Houthi ballistic missile strike killed 73 at a government training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province. — Source: gdelt

Broader Escalation in Yemen

The attack is part of a broader escalation that has shattered a 2022 ceasefire, with Houthis seizing territory near the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, prompting a Saudi-led coalition offensive to retake positions. [1] The escalation shattered a 2022 ceasefire agreement that had largely halted fighting in Yemen's civil war. [1] The Houthis have shown growing military capability on multiple fronts in recent weeks, repeatedly attacking Saudi Arabia's main international airport and seizing territory inside Yemen. [1] The Houthis captured Perim Island and the port city of Mokha while advancing near Taiz, Hodeidah and other strategically important locations. [2] Yemeni government forces and the Saudi-led coalition later launched operations to regain those areas. [2] Earlier this month allied forces retook the towns of Bab, Dhubab and Hadeid near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. [2] The Houthis control large parts of Yemen and have been fighting the Saudi-backed government since 2014. [2]

Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Houthis have conducted multiple attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and military sites in recent weeks, including six claimed strikes on Aramco facilities, King Khalid International Airport, and other targets; Saudi Arabia responded by canceling an investment conference and shifting schools in Riyadh to remote learning. [1] The Houthis acknowledged carrying out a series of attacks against Saudi targets. [2] Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the Houthis targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the Shaybah oil field, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha International Airport, military radar installations, Khamis Mushait Air Base and a radar installation in Bir Askar. [2] The kingdom canceled a global investment conference scheduled for the following week and extended an order for schools in and around Riyadh to hold classes remotely. [1] In September the Houthis carried out missile and drone attacks against the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan. [2] The terrorist group also targeted Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure and an airbase in Khamis Mushait last month. [2] The attack on Riyadh's international airport earlier this month killed at least 13 people, wounded more than 300 others and forced the airport to close temporarily. [2]

Houthi ballistic missile strike kills 73 at Yemen government training camp in Shabwa province. — Source: newsmax

Related Violence and Civilian Casualties

Separate weekend strikes attributed to the Saudi-led coalition killed at least nine civilians including five children in Houthi-controlled Saada, while Houthi shelling killed a father and daughter in Taiz. [1] An aerial attack attributed to Saudi-led forces killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, in the northern province of Saada controlled by the Yemeni rebels. [1] It was one of several attacks that killed or wounded more than 30 people during the weekend, according to the rebels. [1] The Houthi-run Ministry of Health said a father and his daughter died when a mortar shell hit homes in the Sabir al-Mawadim district in Taiz province. [1] Local authorities in Marib province claimed the Houthis fired ballistic missiles at the city of Marib, which hosts large numbers of people displaced by the conflict. [1] More than 530 people had been killed or injured since the latest escalation began on Sept. 3 through Oct. 18, according to the Houthi-run Ministry of Health and Environment. [2] The ministry said on Oct. 18 that 141 people had been killed and 395 wounded, adding that women and children accounted for the largest share of the casualties. [2]

Regional Context and International Ties

The conflict has intensified during the U.S.-Iran war, with the group increasing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait. [2] Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Iraq provide expertise, training and sophisticated weapons to the Houthis, according to UN experts and others. [1] Iran denies supplying weapons to the Houthis, which would violate a UN embargo. [1] U.S. President Donald Trump accused the Houthis on Oct. 13 of deliberately attempting to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections and warned that he would not forget the group's attacks on Saudi Arabia. [2] He previously said that the United States could potentially join future Saudi attacks against the Houthis. [2] The Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia with increasing frequency because it supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government in the civil war. [1] The Sunni kingdom, which has long feared the emergence of a well-armed Iranian ally on its border, joined the war in 2015 after the rebels seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. [1]

What to watch next: Yemeni officials said allied forces had retaken towns near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait while the Houthis claimed further operations against Saudi targets and the Houthi-run ministry continued reporting civilian casualties from ongoing strikes.