Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched three ballistic missiles at the al-Alam military camp in Yemen's Shabwa province on October 19, 2026, killing up to 20 recruits and wounding over two dozen troops. The strike marks a major escalation in the Yemen civil war, effectively shattering a 2022 truce following Houthi advances near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the government's 'Dawn of Yemen' counteroffensive. Rashad al-Alimi promised a firm response amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
Casualties and details of al-alam strike
- ▪The Houthi missile strike on the al-Alam military camp in Shabwa during a training exercise wounded at least two dozen to 30 Yemeni government troops
- ▪Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched three ballistic missiles at the al-Alam military camp in Yemen's Shabwa province on October 19, 2026, killing between 18 and 20 security force recruits
- ▪The recruits targeted in the Houthi missile attack at the al-Alam military camp belonged to the newly established Rapid Intervention force tasked with defending the energy-rich Shabwa province
Reactions and responsibility for the attack
- ▪Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, condemned the Houthi missile strike on new recruits at al-Alam camp as a Houthi terrorist attack under pressure and promised a firm response
- ▪Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for striking the al-Alam military camp in Shabwa province, declaring any location with a Saudi-backed military presence a legitimate target
Saudi-led airstrikes in northern Yemen
- ▪An airstrike attributed to Saudi-led forces killed at least nine people, including five children and two women, in Yemen's Houthi-controlled Saada province on October 18, 2026
- ▪Airstrikes blamed on Saudi-led forces over the weekend of October 17-18, 2026 killed or wounded more than 30 people in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen according to rebel officials
Yemeni military operations against Houthis
- ▪Yemeni government forces targeted Houthi gatherings, vehicles, and weapons in al-Aqroudh, al-Shaqab, and al-Sarari, south of Taiz, where Houthi forces are besieging anti-Houthi troops
- ▪Yemeni government forces launched the 'Dawn of Yemen' military campaign in October 2026 to recapture Houthi-held territory, including the capital Sanaa seized by Houthis in 2014
Fighting near Bab el-mandeb
- ▪Recent fighting in Yemen expanded after Houthi rebels advanced in September 2026 toward territory along the Red Sea coast near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait shipping chokepoint
- ▪The Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive in October 2026 to dislodge Houthi rebels from seized territory near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Attacks on Saudi Arabia
- ▪A Houthi strike hit the headquarters of state oil giant Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, impacting the world's top oil exporter
- ▪Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi Arabia's international airport and state oil company Saudi Aramco, disrupting thousands of flights and killing 19 people in Saudi Arabia
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