Houthi missile strike on Yemen camp kills 50 security recruits, local authorities say

Yemen's government said the missile strike killed recruits to its internal security forces (file photo)

More than 70 security personnel were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a camp in Yemen's central province of Shabwa on Monday, local authorities say.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni armed forces said the Iran-backed group launched three ballistic missiles at al-Alam camp near Ataq city, which was being used as a training centre for recruits to the security forces and police.

The head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, condemned what he called the "criminal attack" and promised a "firm response".

The Houthis' military spokesman said they had targeted "Saudi enemy concentrations".

Yemen's devastating civil war has flared up in recent months.

At the start of October, pro-government forces launched a major offensive that aims to retake territory in western Yemen that is controlled by the Houthis.

With air support from a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states, they managed to regain control of territory on the Red Sea coast that overlooks the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, which the Houthis captured in a surprise assault in September.

Source: BBC News World RSS (Open Press / Full Text)