In brief
Three ballistic missiles struck the Martyr Ahmed al‑Sulaimani Training Centre near Ataq, killing about 53 recruits and injuring more than 200. Yemen’s government condemned the strike as a war crime, while the Houthis claimed it targeted Saudi‑backed forces. The attack follows a week‑long escalation in which both sides have launched air raids on civilian areas. Yemen’s internal security forces are now facing an urgent crisis as hospitals overflow and medical aid is diverted to neighbouring provinces.
More than 50 security personnel were killed and 200 injured in a Houthi missile strike on a training camp in Yemen’s central province of Shabwa, local authorities say.
A three‑ballistic‑missile attack on the Martyr Ahmed al‑Sulaimani Training Centre near Ataq, a site used to train recruits for Yemen’s internal security forces and police, was carried out by the Iran‑backed Houthi movement.
Shortly after the strike, President of the Yemen Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al‑Alimi condemned the attack as a “criminal act” and vowed a “firm response.” The Houthi military spokesman said the missiles targeted what he described as “Saudi enemy concentrations” at the camp.
The conflict, which escalated in October after a pro‑government offensive to retake areas under Houthi control, has seen zealous fighting across Yemen’s western, northern and southern provinces. The coalition‑backed forces regained territory along the Red Sea coast, including the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, but hostilities continue around the besieged city of Taiz and in Marib and al‑Jawf.
In response to Saudi air strikes, Houthis have launched missiles and drones against Saudi airports, energy facilities and military bases. The most recent assault on the training centre is the deadliest incident of the current round of escalations.
Shabwa’s deputy governor, Fahad al‑Khalifi, reported that local hospitals were overwhelmed and severe casualties were transferred to neighbouring Hadramout and Aden. According to a preliminary assessment, 53 recruits died and over 200 were wounded, many in critical condition.
The government’s information minister Moammar al‑Eryani called the attack a war crime, noting that the training centre was not a legitimate military target. He also accused the Houthis of fabricating a false victory narrative.
Meanwhile, Houthi media reported a separate Saudi air strike on a household in Saada province that killed at least 10 people and wounded 23. Houthi statements claim 141 people have died in Saudi strikes over the past seven weeks, while the government says the overall toll across Yemen since 6 August is 1,282.
Since 2014, when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war. The conflict intensified in 2015 after a Saudi‑led coalition intervened to restore the former government’s rule. A loose ceasefire collapsed in July; the Houthis imposed a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets, citing a perceived blockade and an air strike on Sanaa airport.
