Yemeni government reports 30 soldiers killed in Houthi missile strikes

According to Yemeni military sources, eight missiles were launched Thursday from al-Jawf governorate, located north of Marib. The projectiles struck al-Thiniya and al-Abr in Hadramout and al-Rouk in Marib. Several of the targeted facilities belonged to the country's Emergency Forces. The same sources said the number of casualties could increase as information from the sites is collected.

The Houthi movement's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the operation involved both missiles and drones and asserted that it had caused hundreds of casualties. That figure has not been independently confirmed and differs substantially from the toll reported by government sources.

Yemen's military acknowledged that the camps had been hit and described the attacks as retaliation for its own earlier operations against Houthi positions.

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen issued a statement offering condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed and wishing a rapid recovery to those injured. The embassy characterized the strikes as cowardly and said they amounted to further evidence of what it called terrorism directed at the Yemeni people. It also restated Washington's support for the Yemeni government and armed forces, as well as for efforts to counter the Houthis and preserve stability in the region.

The reported death toll makes the attacks among the deadliest single incidents in Yemen's conflict in several years. Fighting between the Houthis and forces loyal to the internationally recognized government has picked up over the past several weeks, following roughly four years in which front lines were largely static, and violence remained at comparatively low levels.

The escalation has extended beyond Yemen's borders. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, which lies to the north, and have carried out attacks on vessels they say are linked to the kingdom.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the United States and Iran were set to resume negotiations on August 3.