The death toll from a Houthi missile strike on a government military camp in southern Yemen has risen to 60, primarily recruits, making it the deadliest attack since fighting in the country escalated three months ago, Yemeni officials said Tuesday. At least a dozen people remained missing a day after the strike on the al-Alam training camp in Shabwa province.
The attack comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and forces aligned with the internationally recognised government, as missile and drone attacks have also heightened security concerns in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Three officials said the Houthis struck the camp with ballistic missiles on Monday while recruits were lining up for a training session. More than 200 others were wounded, including several who suffered serious injuries and were transferred to hospitals in other provinces in life-threatening condition. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
At least 15 of those killed belonged to a single Yemeni tribe, one local government official said.
Shabwa governor Awad Ibn al-Wazir said the recruits had been drawn from across the province to receive training for security duties, not combat operations.
“These recruits have never before participated in any mobilisation or on any front,” he said in televised comments aired by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya. “They have no connection to the front lines … they were (part of) a non-offensive security force.”
The Shabwa provincial government said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the camp. The rebels claimed responsibility, saying they had killed and wounded dozens but providing no further details.
The al-Alam camp, previously used by a militia backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is located in the Jardan district north of the provincial capital, Ataq. It lies on a key supply route linking Shabwa with the government-controlled province of Marib. Shabwa, Marib and neighbouring Hadramawt form a strategic area containing much of Yemen’s oil and gas production.
The renewed fighting began when forces aligned with the internationally recognised government and the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, breaking a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in the civil war. The Houthis have since also launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, Saudi authorities issued an attack warning for the capital region, followed by an explosion in northern Riyadh near King Khalid International Airport. The airport has faced repeated Houthi attacks this month, forcing it to suspend operations. Saudi Arabia later said a Houthi-fired ballistic missile had been intercepted and issued an all-clear.
Amid the heightened security concerns, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued an advisory on October 19 urging American citizens to follow Civil Defence alerts and exercise extreme caution following reported missile and unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) attacks on airports in the Kingdom.
The embassy warned of possible further attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancellations and travel disruptions. It said operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained suspended, while King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam continued operating amid some delays and cancellations.
The advisory urged travellers to confirm departure information directly with airlines and airports and consider private cars, trains and buses as alternatives. All land border crossings, including the King Fahd Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, remained operational, as did highways and roads in and around Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran.
The US mission also said American government employees in Saudi Arabia required special authorisation from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in the Kingdom.
Restrictions remained in place on US government employees travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border, with special authorisation required for visits to Jizan, Asir and Najran provinces, as well as Qatif, Yanbu and Taif.
The embassy warned US citizens against photographing or sharing information about missile interceptions, drone activity or impact sites, citing Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior, which cautioned that publishing such material could result in legal liability.
Americans were also advised to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, monitor local media, follow Saudi authorities’ instructions, keep mobile phones charged and enrol in the State Department’s Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP) for security updates and emergency communication. Regular and emergency consular services remained available.
The latest escalation adds to the long-running conflict in Yemen, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year to restore the government. The war has killed more than 150,000 people and contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree has also claimed that Saudi forces carried out 110 airstrikes and missile attacks across several Yemeni governorates over 24 hours, causing more than 30 casualties, mostly women and children. The claims have not been independently verified in the supplied information.
(With agency inputs from ANI and AP via PTI)
