Missile Strike on Yemen Training Camp Kills at Least 13 Army Recruits

A ballistic missile struck a Yemeni government military training camp in Qatabah district, in the north of Al-Dhalea province, on Wednesday morning as newly recruited soldiers gathered for exercises, killing at least 13 of them, a government military official told Xinhua.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 65 others were wounded and blamed the Houthi movement for the attack. None of the reports cited a claim of responsibility from the Houthis.

Death toll varies by source

Casualty figures differed across outlets on Thursday. Anadolu Agency, citing medical sources quoted by Al-Jumhuriya TV, put the toll at 14 dead and more than 30 injured. Military sources told The New Arab that the number of recruits killed could exceed 25. An Al Jazeera correspondent earlier cited a military source as saying eight recruits were killed and more than 15 wounded.

The New Arab identified the site as the Al-Ulala camp, west of Qataba city, and reported that rescue work was slowed by a shortage of ambulances and limited hospital capacity in the province. Al Jazeera said the camp belongs to the government-aligned National Shield forces.

Strikes elsewhere in Yemen

Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that a Saudi airstrike on a house in Taiz province’s Hayfan district killed three children and a woman on Wednesday, Xinhua reported. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed on X that Saudi forces carried out 104 air and missile strikes over 24 hours. Those figures have not been independently verified.

Anadolu also reported four airstrikes on Houthi weapons depots and vehicles in Al-Bayda province; the party responsible was not identified.

Yemen’s war began in late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

Developing: The final death toll from the Al-Dhalea strike has not been confirmed, and reported figures range from eight to more than 25.

Sources: Xinhua, Anadolu Agency, The New Arab, Al Jazeera.