Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a Yemeni government military training camp in southern Yemen's Shabwa province with three ballistic missiles on Monday, killing at least 53 soldiers and wounding more than 200 others.

The attack targeted the al-Alam camp in the Jardan district near Ataq, where new recruits for internal security forces were lined up in formation during training. Provincial authorities described the death toll as preliminary and warned it could rise.

Yemeni government officials condemned the strike as a terrorist escalation and a direct assault on recruits. President Rashad al-Alimi vowed an immediate and forceful response, noting that the targeting of new trainees reflects the Houthis' pattern of cowardly attacks when facing setbacks in their Iranian-supported operations.

The Houthis claimed responsibility, stating their forces hit what they called Saudi enemy mobilizations at the camp, which they alleged was operated by Saudi officers. The group has also cut roads connecting government-controlled areas in Shabwa to Houthi-held territory in Bayda province.

This incident stands as the largest single loss of life in the renewed phase of Yemen's civil war, which escalated sharply in September. The conflict pits the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government against the Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and have since received substantial Iranian support including advanced missiles.

Local hospitals in Ataq were overwhelmed by the casualties, with some critically injured recruits transferred to facilities in neighboring provinces. The Shabwa provincial government called the attack a blatant aggression against the province's security and stability.

The strike highlights the persistent threat posed by Houthi ballistic missile capabilities to assembled forces in government-held areas. It comes amid broader regional tensions fueled by the group's Iranian ties and ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea and beyond.

An inquiry is expected into security lapses that left large numbers of recruits vulnerable at the site. The event underscores the challenges facing efforts to stabilize Yemen and counter the spread of Iranian influence through proxy militias.