Houthis launch ballistic missiles at camp in southern governorate during training exercise, government forces spokesman says.

Dozens of people have been killed and wounded in a Houthi missile attack on the al-AIam military camp in southern Yemen, authorities say.

The Houthis launched three ballistic missiles on Monday at the camp in Shabwa governorate during a training exercise, a spokesperson for the Yemeni government forces said.

Officials in the internationally recognised government and medical sources said at least 18 people were killed and more than 30 wounded in the attack. The deputy governor of Shabwa said there were at least 40 casualties without giving a breakdown of those killed and injured.

The attack was carried out as fighting continued to rage across Yemen. The civil war has escalated sharply since the Houthis, an armed group also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God), seized strategic territory from forces loyal to the government along the Red Sea coast last month.

Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, responded to the losses with a counteroffensive and then launched the “Dawn of Yemen” operation, which aims to recapture Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Iran-aligned group seized in 2014.

Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, said those killed were new recruits and promised a “firm response”.

“Targeting recruits reflects the Houthi militia’s approach of resorting to terrorist attacks when under pressure,” he said.

Reporting from Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry said the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The Houthis said the attack targeted what they called a ‘Saudi-backed’ military base, referring to Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces who are stationed at military camps across the country,” he said.

“The Houthis say they will continue to target those bases. Spokesperson Yahya Saree says anywhere with a Saudi-backed military presence will be considered a legitimate target.”

Earlier, Yemeni government forces said they targeted Houthi gatherings, vehicles and weapons in al-Aqroudh, al-Shaqab and al-Sarari, south of Taiz, which is suffering from fuel shortages and soaring prices.