At least 58 people were killed, over 200 injured, and 14 remain missing following a Houthi missile strike on an army training camp in Yemen's southern Shabwa province, confirmed Shabwa Governor Awad al-Wazir.

A video verified by news agency Reuters shows blood-soaked bodies and injured personnel scattered across the ground at the scene.

Clashes between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council government have escalated since September, when Houthi troops advanced toward areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime transit corridor at the entrance of the Red Sea.

According to local sources, Houthi rebels fired three ballistic missiles on Monday during a military training exercise at the camp in Shabwa.

Shabwa, an energy-rich province on Yemen’s south-central coast along the Gulf of Aden, hosts the country's largest industrial investment, Balhaf, which produces liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Following the attack, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility in a post on X, stating that the target was a training camp under Saudi control. The Saudi government and military have not issued an immediate comment.

Earlier this month, Yemeni government forces launched an offensive to retake Houthi-controlled territories and secured several positions near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Meanwhile, Houthi forces maintain a blockade around the southern highland city of Taiz, considered the last major stronghold of anti-Houthi coalition forces.

The conflict in Yemen has increasingly evolved into a front of the broader regional struggle involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The Houthis have intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia—the world’s largest crude oil exporter—targeting Riyadh International Airport and state oil giant Saudi Aramco.

Yemen's civil war erupted in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to flee south.

A Saudi-led military intervention the following year led to a bloody stalemate until the warring factions agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, which held until this year.

Yemen continues to face one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with aid agencies warning that conditions are rapidly worsening.
Source: Reuters