Houthi missile strike on Yemen training camp kills 58

Video footage verified by Reuters showed bloodstained bodies and injured personnel scattered across the grounds of the training facility following the strike.

Clashes between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council government have escalated after Houthi forces advanced toward areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint at the entrance of the Red Sea.

Local sources reported that Houthi rebels launched three ballistic missiles at the camp on Monday (October 19) during an army training exercise.

Shabwa, an energy-rich province located along the Gulf of Aden in south-central Yemen, houses the country's largest industrial investment—the Balhaf facility, which produces liquefied natural gas (LNG).

In a message posted on X following the strike, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for targeting the training camp, asserting that the facility was under Saudi control. Neither the Saudi government nor military authorities issued an immediate comment on the claim.

Earlier this month, pro-government forces under the Presidential Council launched an offensive to reclaim Houthi-controlled territory, securing key positions near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Meanwhile, Houthi forces continue to lay siege to the southern mountainous city of Taiz, considered the last major stronghold of anti-Houthi forces.

The conflict in Yemen has increasingly transformed into a key front in the broader regional confrontation involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. Houthis have escalated attacks against Saudi Arabia—the world's largest exporter of crude oil—targeting Riyadh's international airport and state oil giant Saudi Aramco.

The war in Yemen began in 2014 when Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to flee south. A Saudi-led military intervention followed in 2015, resulting in a prolonged stalemate until a 2022 truce provided relative stability.  

Yemen remains gripped by one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with international relief agencies warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions amid renewed hostilities.