Seventy-three people were killed Monday in a missile strike on a government security forces training camp in Shabwa province, as the Houthi campaign against Saudi Arabia and its allies widens beyond the drone war over Riyadh into Yemen’s own battlefields.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the attack, describing it as part of the group’s widening operations. The same spokesman claimed a Wednesday strike on a military camp near Aden airport, and a government source said Riyan airport in Mukalla was also attacked. It is the most serious fighting since the 2022 truce ended.
Two fronts, one campaign
The Shabwa strike lands as the Houthis simultaneously deny launching drones toward Medina, even as Saudi Arabia claims interceptions over the holy city and the Eastern region. The group says it holds to a self-declared exemption for Mecca and Medina; Riyadh airport has been attacked, government staff in the capital sent home, and airlines warned to exercise caution near the kingdom’s airspace.
International condemnation is gathering, the way it always does when holy cities enter the frame. When Macron denounces “unbridled” violence, the formula is familiar: strong words, vows of uncompromising response, and a wait to see what follows. The Shabwa dead, killed at a training camp rather than a front line, will test whether the words reach beyond the usual statements.
What comes next
The Houthis have shown no sign of slowing, with the group warning of further operations and Saudi defenses stretched between the capital, the holy cities and the southern border. The training-camp strike suggests the campaign is also intensifying inside Yemen, where the anti-Houthi government forces remain the ground-level target.
The pattern recalls other thwarted attacks that made headlines before they could happen, like the Illinois temple plot foiled after a teenager’s arrest. Shabwa was not foiled. SRN News’ reporting captures the full picture: denials over Medina, escalation in Shabwa, and a region sliding toward a wider war.
