The death toll from a Houthi missile strike this week on a Yemeni military camp housing new recruits rose to 73 on Tuesday, making it the deadliest attack since fighting between the Iran-backed rebels and Saudi-backed coalition forces restarted earlier this year.
The victims of Monday’s strike were new recruits at the al-Alam camp in the southern Yemeni province of Shabwa.
Most of the recruits were between 8 and 20 years old, and many are missing, according to Shabwa governor Awad Ibn al-Wazir.
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Monday’s strike also injured more than 200 people at the camp, Mr. al-Wazir said.
“This had nothing to do with front lines,” he told The Associated Press. “They had not attacked anyone or advanced against anything. It was only to protect the security of their province.”
The Houthis claimed responsibility Monday for the missile attack, saying it was intended to hit Saudi military infrastructure. The rebels said the attack killed and wounded dozens, and warned other recruits from joining the Saudi-led coalition in fighting the Iran-back rebels.
Monday’s attack is the latest escalation in a growing war between the Houthis in western Yemen and the internationally recognized government of Yemen with support from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized government of Yemen have officially been at war with the Houthis since 2015, but fighting restarted after coalition forces launched airstrikes on the rebel-controlled Sanaa International Airport in July.
The Houthis in response declared a naval blockade of Saudi ships in the Red Sea and began an aggressive ground campaign in Yemen. The rebels have captured large swaths of territory on Yemen’s western coast.
The Houthis have also launched missiles and drones at civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports and oil infrastructure.
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