Dozens of Yemeni soldiers were killed Monday in a missile strike on a desert military camp in central Yemen, officials said, marking one of the deadliest attacks since fighting intensified this year. The Iranian-backed Houthi militia launched three ballistic missiles at the Al Alam camp in Shabwa Province, targeting what Yemeni authorities described as a training center for security and police recruits.
Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces, reported that at least 47 soldiers were killed and 53 others wounded in the attack. Fahd Al-Khulaili, deputy governor of al-Shabwa Province, confirmed dozens of casualties and said some injured individuals were being evacuated to government-controlled cities Aden and al-Mukalla.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, did not acknowledge targeting recruits. Instead, the group's news agency, Saba, claimed the strike hit Saudi "troop buildups" at the camp but did not specify casualties. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis has not issued a statement regarding the missile attack.
Graphic video footage circulating on social media showed multiple bodies and blood at the scene, reinforcing the severity of the strike. The renewed violence comes amid a sharp escalation in the Yemeni conflict this year, which reignited after alleged attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Houthis’ main supporter.
In recent weeks, the Houthis seized strategic parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, gaining control over critical shipping routes. Although the group did not comment on its territorial gains, a Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, reported that Saudi warplanes conducted over 110 airstrikes in Sanaa on Sunday, resulting in more than 30 casualties, primarily women and children. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to these claims.
The conflict has also spilled over into Saudi Arabia, with Houthi attacks on infrastructure and oil installations. This month alone, missile strikes against Riyadh’s airport have killed at least 17 people and wounded over 330, prompting Saudi authorities to impose stringent restrictions on flights to and from the capital’s airport starting Saturday night with no announced end date.
The heightened insecurity forced organizers of the Future Investment Initiative summit, scheduled to begin next week in Saudi Arabia, to delay the event until next year. The postponement highlights how the ongoing violence threatens the kingdom’s economic diversification plans.
Rashad al-Alami, leader of Yemen’s internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council, vowed a decisive response to the attack, emphasizing that it would not deter efforts to protect civilians and rebuild state institutions.
The conflict paused briefly with a 2022 ceasefire but renewed after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of targeting Sanaa’s airport, leading to a Houthi blockade on Saudi shipping. Saudi Arabia has sought increased military support from regional allies as attacks continue. While the United States rebuffed Saudi requests for direct strikes against the Houthis last month, it continues to provide intelligence and targeting assistance.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s parliament considered authorizing military support to Saudi Arabia but postponed a vote until next week. Egypt’s National Defense Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, pledged to offer all necessary support to defend the kingdom without detailing specific measures.