Houthi Missile Attack on Yemen Military Camp Kills at Least 20 Soldiers

ADEN, Oct 19: At least 20 soldiers were killed and more than two dozen others wounded in a ballistic missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi group on a military training camp in the eastern province of Shabwa on Monday, according to The Associated Press.

The attack targeted the Al-Alam military camp in Shabwa province, where government forces were undergoing training. Two Yemeni military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the casualties to AP.

Reuters separately reported that at least 18 people were killed in the attack, citing four Yemeni government and medical sources. The differing figures indicate that the casualty toll may still be developing. 

According to the sources cited by Reuters, the attack was carried out using three ballistic missiles that struck soldiers during morning training.

A spokesperson for Yemen’s armed forces also said the Houthis had targeted the province with three ballistic missiles, describing the target as a training centre for security and police personnel. The spokesperson accused the group of deliberately killing Yemenis across the country’s provinces.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the reported attack.

The strike comes amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country’s north. A truce reached in 2022 largely halted fighting for several years, but hostilities have intensified again in recent months, according to international news reports.