In brief
A volley of three ballistic missiles struck the al‑Alam training camp near Ataq in Yemen’s Shabwa province, killing 53 recruits and injuring more than 200. The attack was condemned by President Rashad al‑Alimi as a “criminal act” and a war crime, while Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea insisted they targeted a gathering of Saudi‑backed forces. The strike has overwhelmed local hospitals, forcing the transfer of wounded patients to neighbouring provinces. It follows a broader escalation in which Saudi-led air raids have met Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saadian infrastructure and Saudi airports. The striking casualty figures underscore the distortion of Yemen’s war, where civilian and security forces alike face deadly crossfire.
A volley of three ballistic missiles fired by Iran‑backed Houthi rebels slammed into the al‑Alam training camp near Ataq city in Yemen’s Shabwa province, killing 53 recruits and leaving more than 200 wounded.
The camp, a core training centre for internal security forces drawing personnel from several provinces, was the target, officials said, citing a preliminary assessment that the impact site bore the marks of high‑explosive blasts and shattered concrete.
President Rashad al‑Alimi denounced the “criminal attack” as a war crime and pledged a “firm response” from the government’s armed forces. In contrast, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea declared the missiles had struck a “Saudi enemy” gathering and questioned the motive of “fabricating a false media victory.”
Shabwa’s deputy governor, Fahad al‑Khalifi, told AFP that local hospitals were overwhelmed and had to transfer seriously wounded patients to Aden and Hadramout. Information Minister Moammar al‑Eryani echoed the war‑crime claim, arguing that a training centre was not a legitimate military target.
The strike is the most lethal of the renewed offensive launched by pro‑government forces in early October, which has regained territory along the Red Sea coast but sees continued fighting in western Yemen, the besieged city of Taiz, and the northern provinces of Marib and al‑Jawf.
Meanwhile, Houthi‑run media reported that a Saudi air raid on the city of Saada’s Sahar district killed ten civilians and injured 23, including many children. Houthis claim 141 people have died in Saudi strikes since October, against government figures of 1,282 deaths across Yemen since early August.
Since the 2014‑2015 outbreak of civil war, Yemen has endured a cycle of retaliation: the Houthis seized the capital in 2014; the Saudi‑led coalition began air raids in 2015; and a four‑year informal ceasefire collapsed in July, giving rise to a barrage of missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory. The ongoing cycle underscores the humanitarian toll, with the international community facing widespread criticism over the civilian casualties generated by both sides.
As the conflict intensifies, the latest attack on Shabwa’s training camp serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of any ceasefire. The killings of security recruits—many of whom were newly trained—highlight that front‑line violence now touches those venturing to protect communities. Without an urgent diplomatic breakthrough, Yemen’s population sacrifices itself for the continuing clash of external powers and domestic factions.
