A Houthi missile strike on a military training camp in southern Yemen killed 73 recruits, while Britain announced RAF Typhoon missions to help protect Saudi Arabia from further air attacks.
Shabwa Governor Awad Ibn al-Wazir reported the death toll on Tuesday and said those killed included recruits aged 18 to 20. A day after the strike on al-Alam camp, some people were still missing. The missile hit while recruits were lining up for training.
More than 200 others were wounded, according to the governor. The attack was described as the deadliest since fighting escalated about three months ago. The escalation followed the breakdown of a truce that had mostly limited the civil war.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the Typhoons would fly defensive air missions to protect Saudi cities and important infrastructure. The ministry said the jets would not carry out offensive strikes against the Houthis. The new support also includes an RAF A400M transport aircraft, British military advisers and an extension of support for refuelling planes in the air.
The announcement follows a sharp rise in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes aimed at Riyadh’s main airport. At the same time, fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government is intensifying.