Houthi attacks kill 38 Yemeni troops, dozens injured
Houthi missile and drone strikes killed at least 38 Yemeni government soldiers and injured 29 others on Thursday in one of the deadliest attacks in recent years, according to medical sources. The assaults targeted military camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces, including positions near the Saudi Arabian border. Security officials said one of the missiles struck troops during their morning assembly at a military camp in Marib, causing heavy casualties. Military sources said the attacks hit camps in the Al-Ruwaik area of Marib as well as Al-Abr and Al-Wadiah in Hadramawt. The strikes left dozens of soldiers dead or wounded, with officials warning that the casualty toll could rise as some of the injured remain in critical condition. The latest violence comes as Yemen’s long-running conflict has intensified following recent regional tensions. Last month, the Iran-backed Houthi movement expanded its military actions after renewed hostilities involving Iran and the United States. The group resumed attacks after a period of relative calm, including strikes on government forces and maritime targets. In a separate incident last month, Houthi fighters killed 16 government-aligned soldiers during an attack south of the strategic port city of Hodeidah. Yemen has been devastated by conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate. The rebels continue to control much of northern Yemen, while government forces hold large parts of the south. Although a UN-brokered truce reached in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, the agreement eventually expired, and sporadic clashes have continued. The latest attacks highlight the fragile security situation and raise fears of further escalation in a war that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.