Houthi attacks on Yemeni army camps kill at least 30, sources say
Suspected Houthi missile and drone strikes on military camps in central Yemen have reportedly left at least 30 government troops dead, with a health minister condemning the assault as an attempt to undermine security.
At least 30 Yemeni government soldiers were killed in Houthi rebel attacks on military camps in central Yemen, according to reports. The strikes, reportedly involving rockets and drones, hit several Emergency Forces camps near al-Ruwaik in Marib province and al-Abr in Hadramawt governorate.
Health Minister Qasim Bahibah condemned the 'treacherous' attack and said it was designed to destabilize security and stability, though he gave no casualty figures. A Houthi spokesman, whose movement controls much of north-western Yemen and is backed by Iran, said the operation targeted what he called 'large Saudi military build-ups' preparing for an offensive. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting the Yemeni government in the civil war. Neither the coalition nor the Saudi government immediately commented.
The US mission to Yemen called the Houthi attacks 'cowardly' and described them as an example of 'their terrorism against the Yemeni people'.
Yemen has been shattered by a civil war that erupted in 2014 when Houthi forces ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015 as the Saudi-led coalition intervened to try to restore government control. The war has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and triggered what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies, with over 22 million people dependent on some form of aid.
After an informal ceasefire in 2022, the conflict with the Houthis had largely gone quiet. In recent weeks, however, there has been a sharp escalation. The Houthis announced a 'maritime embargo' against Saudi Arabia and launched a series of missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil installations and tankers in the Red Sea. They say the strikes are retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in areas they control, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport that they attribute to the kingdom, despite a claim from the Yemeni government.
