At least 53 killed as Iran-backed Houthi rebels strike Yemen government forces with ballistic missiles

Missile strike hits recruits

The missiles hit a military camp in Shabwa as recruits were preparing for training, a Yemeni military official said. The official spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to address the media.

Shabwa’s provincial government said those at the camp were training to join internal security forces. It reported at least 53 dead and 200 wounded, while warning the death toll could increase. The Houthis acknowledged targeting the camp. The provincial government called for air defense and early warning systems, urging Yemen’s president, the Saudi-led coalition and the government to strengthen the province’s defenses.

Ceasefire and fighting unravel

The confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces is part of a widening front in the Iran war, which began in February, according to the report. The escalation has broken a 2022 ceasefire that had largely stopped fighting in Yemen’s civil war. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, promised a “firm response.” He said the attack reflected the Houthis’ “approach of resorting to cowardly terrorist attacks.”

Regional attacks intensify

In recent weeks, the Houthis have displayed growing military capabilities across several fronts. They have repeatedly struck Saudi Arabia’s main international airport and targeted oil and military facilities, including the headquarters of Aramco, the report said.

The rebels have also seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route. The Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive this month to push them away from the strategic area and retake the territory.

Iran and allies in Lebanon and Iraq provide the Houthis with expertise, training and advanced weapons, according to U.N. and other experts. Iran denies arming the group, which would violate a U.N. embargo.

Other violence and response

On Sunday, an airstrike blamed on Saudi-led forces killed at least nine people in the Houthi-held northern province of Saada, the rebels’ Health Ministry said. The ministry said five children and two women were among those killed, and that several weekend attacks killed or wounded more than 30 people.

Monday also marked five years since the Houthis detained more than 20 Yemeni employees of the U.S. embassy in Sana’a. The State Department called for their “immediate and unconditional release.”