At least 58 people have been killed, and more than 200 injured in a Houthi attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province, Governor Awad al-Wazir has said.
Al-Wazir said the attack occurred on Monday at the Al-Alam camp, adding that 14 people remained missing following the bombardment.
Video verified by Reuters from the province showed injured people and bloodied bodies scattered across the ground.
Local authority sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Iran-aligned Houthis had fired three ballistic missiles at security forces during a training exercise.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the group had targeted the camp, which he claimed was operated by Saudi forces. Saudi authorities had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
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The attack comes as fighting intensifies between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
The two sides have exchanged attacks since the Houthis advanced in September towards areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Government forces launched a campaign this month to recapture Houthi-controlled territory, making gains near the strait, while the rebels continue to besiege Taiz, a major stronghold of anti-Houthi forces in Yemen’s southern highlands.
Shabwa, an energy-rich province in south-central coastal Yemen, is also home to the Balhaf liquefied natural gas facility, the country’s largest industrial investment.
The conflict has become another front in the wider war involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, targeting Riyadh’s international airport and state oil company Saudi Aramco.
Yemen’s war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government south. A Saudi-led military intervention followed in 2015, leading to years of fighting and a bloody stalemate.
A truce agreed in 2022 held until this year, when hostilities resumed.
The renewed fighting has worsened concerns over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, already among the world’s most severe crises, with aid agencies warning of deteriorating conditions.
