Yemen Houthi strike toll rises to 73, officials say

The death toll from a Houthi strike on a military camp used by Yemeni government forces in Shabwa province has risen to 73, local authorities said Tuesday.

Provincial authorities said search efforts were continuing for 14 missing people after Monday's strike. They had earlier put the death toll at 53 and said more than 200 others were injured, all new members of the internal security forces who were undergoing training.

Majed al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, said Monday that the Houthis targeted Shabwa with three ballistic missiles and hit a training centre for security and police personnel.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree later said the group carried out the attack, saying it targeted what he called “Saudi enemy gatherings” at Al-Alam camp.

Shabwa contains major oil and gas fields and the Balhaf liquefied natural gas terminal, Yemen's largest energy facility. A government military source in the province said Monday that the army feared the strikes could precede a ground offensive similar to the Houthis' seizure of the Red Sea port city of Mokha last month.