Houthi missile attack kills at least 53 soldiers in Yemen, officials say

Houthi rebels attacked a military training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province with ballistic missiles Monday, killing at least 53 soldiers, according to Yemeni military officials cited by The Korea Times. Provincial authorities reported 200 recruits wounded and warned the death toll could rise.

The attack comes amid renewed fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government that has broken a 2022 ceasefire, The Korea Times reported. Shabwa authorities appealed for air defenses and early warning systems after the strike.

Shabwa’s provincial government said the missiles struck recruits undergoing training and preparation, according to The Korea Times. It directed its request for defensive systems to Yemen’s president, the national government and the Saudi-led coalition.

Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s ruling Presidential Leadership Council, promised a response. A Houthi spokesman acknowledged targeting the camp and claimed Saudi officers had been killed there, but supplied no evidence. The Saudi government did not immediately comment, the newspaper reported.

The Houthis also claimed six attacks against Saudi oil facilities, airports and military sites without saying when they occurred. Amid Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia canceled a global investment conference planned for the following week and extended remote schooling in and around Riyadh, according to The Korea Times.

The newspaper reported that recent Houthi territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had prompted a Saudi-led coalition offensive earlier in the month. Separately, the Houthi-run Health Ministry attributed a Sunday airstrike in Saada to Saudi-led forces and reported at least nine deaths, including five children and two women.

U.N. and other experts cited by The Korea Times said Iran and its allies provide the Houthis with weapons, training and expertise. Iran denies arming the group.

The Shabwa government’s warning left open the possibility of a higher death toll as it sought protection against further missile attacks.