More than 50 security personnel were killed and around 200 injured in a ballistic missile attack on a training facility in Yemen’s central Shabwa province, according to local officials. The Iran-backed Houthi group launched three missiles at al-Alam camp near Ataq city, which served as a training center for recruits to the security forces and police. The Saudi-backed Yemeni armed forces confirmed the strike, while Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi denounced the assault as a “criminal attack” and vowed a strong response.
The Houthis’ military spokesman characterized the operation as targeting “Saudi enemy concentrations” at the site, which he claimed was run by Saudi officers. Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani called the attack a war crime, asserting the training center was not a legitimate military target. He also accused the Houthis of attempting to create a false victory narrative while concealing their own battlefield losses.
The strike represents one of the deadliest reported incidents since recent escalations in Yemen’s ongoing civil conflict. Local officials confirmed that at least 53 personnel were killed with over 200 injured, overwhelming hospitals in the province and forcing transfers of critically wounded patients to neighboring Hadramout and Aden. Video footage circulated on social media appeared to show casualties at the site.
The attack comes amid renewed fighting as pro-government forces launched a major offensive earlier in October with Saudi-led coalition air support. These operations aimed to retake western Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthis, including coastal areas near the strategically significant Bab al-Mandab Strait. Intense combat continues across multiple fronts, including around Taiz, Marib, and al-Jawf provinces.
In parallel developments, Houthi-affiliated media reported a Saudi air strike on a residential area in Saada province that killed at least 10 people. Overall casualty figures show significant losses on both sides, with conflicting accounts of total deaths in the broader conflict. Saudi Arabia has also reported fatalities from Houthi missile and drone attacks on its territory since early October.
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