Houthi attack kills 53 in biggest single loss of life since Yemen civil war reignited

At least 53 people have been killed in a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a training camp for Yemeni government forces, marking the largest single loss of life since the country’s civil war reignited in September. The attack, which targeted the al-Alam camp in the southern Shabwa province, also injured more than 200 others, mostly young recruits. The incident has been described as a disaster by the country’s UN-recognised government.

The injured were transported from the police and army training camp in the Jardan district to a hospital in the local capital, Ataq, where urgent pleas for blood donations were made. An inquiry will be conducted to determine how so many troops were left vulnerable to Houthi attacks.

In mid-September, the Houthis began a renewed offensive against forces supporting the UN-recognised government, advancing south along the Red Sea coast in an attempt to seize control of the Bab al-Mandab waterway. Reliable assessments of the death toll from the ongoing fighting are difficult to ascertain, but estimates suggest it is in the thousands.