International News | October 19, 2026
Yemen’s Houthi militia has attacked a camp belonging to Yemeni government forces in the southern province of Shabwa, killing more than 20 people.
According to a foreign news agency, a missile strike on a government training camp in Shabwa left more than 20 dead and at least 30 injured. A government military official and local medical sources confirmed the casualties.
The deputy governor of the province said the attack hit the al-Ilm camp in Jardan district.
Latest details
Reports from other outlets put the toll lower at an earlier stage. Reuters reported that at least 18 people were killed on Monday, citing four government and medical sources. Government sources said the attack targeted soldiers during a morning training session and used three ballistic missiles. Al Jazeera, citing the deputy provincial governor, reported that at least 40 people were killed or wounded. Casualty figures have varied between sources and may change.
Background
The attack comes amid a wider escalation in the region. Reuters described the Yemen conflict as another front in the regional war sparked by the conflict with Iran, with the Houthis repeatedly launching missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities and other infrastructure. The Yemeni government launched a campaign earlier this month to recapture areas held by the rebels.
The al-Ilm camp has been hit before. In February 2022, a Houthi ballistic missile struck a mosque in Jardan district as newly recruited pro-government soldiers gathered for evening prayers. Yemen has been mired in civil war since the Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.
Violence has been high this year. According to a timeline of 2026 events in Yemen, at least 58 government soldiers were killed in Houthi attacks on August 6.
Pakistan’s military on the Mecca Alliance
Separately, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said there can be no compromise on the protection of the Holy Mosques (Haramain Sharifain).
In an interview with an Arab TV channel, he said Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are Pakistan’s top priority, as is the protection of the Haramain Sharifain.
He said Pakistan’s position is clear and unambiguous, and that its message has already been conveyed through the political leadership and the Field Marshal. He said there is deep anger among the public and the political and military leadership over attacks on holy sites.
The DG ISPR said the Mecca joint defense agreement has progressed in a very short time and reflects the thinking of three countries. He said escalating the conflict at any level would benefit no country.
He added that widening the Middle East military conflict is in nobody’s interest and that negotiations are essential. If a negotiated solution fails and military confrontation follows, he said, the collective deterrence of the Mecca Alliance would come into play. He stressed that the alliance has no aggressive intent and is not directed against any particular country. Its purpose, he said, is to promote peace, stability and security in the region.
Lt Gen Chaudhry also said Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey believe in regional peace, stability and prosperity, and that Muslims need to unite rather than fight one another.
About the Mecca Defence Alliance
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Agreement on joint defense on August 7. Under it, an armed attack on one of the three states will be considered an attack on all. In an earlier interview with Al Arabiya English, the DG ISPR said the pact is defensive, does not compete with other alliances, is not a club for Muslim countries only, and could expand to new partners. He said operational details of the commitments remain classified.
The defense chiefs of the three countries met in Riyadh and condemned attacks targeting Mecca and the Kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure. Saudi defenses intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca last month, a development seen as a first practical test of the alliance.