Missile Strike Kills 53 at Yemen Security Training Camp

At least 53 people were killed and 200 wounded when three missiles struck a training camp in Yemen’s Shabwa province on Monday, according to provincial authorities. Recruits were hit while preparing to join internal security forces, and authorities warned the death toll could rise. The strike is among the deadliest attacks in a new burst of fighting. ^1,6

The 53 dead were at al-Alam camp in Jardan district, north of Shabwa’s capital, Ataq. Local officials said the missiles struck during a training session; one military official said recruits were lining up in formation. The camp sits on a route toward Marib, a government-held province, and supply lines used by government forces. The Houthis acknowledged targeting the camp, though their media outlet gave no details about casualties. ^1,8

The route and the camp’s location make the attack important beyond the immediate loss of life. The recruits were meant to defend the area, and Shabwa’s authorities asked Yemen’s government and the Saudi-led coalition to provide air defenses and early-warning systems. The strike comes as fighting between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s recognized government intensifies. Yemen’s war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north. ^1,5,6

Shabwa’s authorities say the toll is still an early estimate, while the scale of the attack has already strained local care. They told public and private hospitals to treat the wounded and move the most seriously hurt to specialist units. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head, Rashad al-Alimi, promised a “firm response.” The next steps are caring for the injured. The government and coalition must decide whether to provide the defenses Shabwa requested. ^1,8