At least 30 Yemeni soldiers killed in missile and drone attack on key military base-National

Missiles and drones attacked an important military base YemenA spokesman for the Yemeni military said at least 30 soldiers were killed in the southern part of the country on Sunday. This is one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s civil war in recent years.

Mohammed al-Naqib, a spokesman for the Southern Forces in Yemen, told the Associated Press that the Al-Anad air base in Lahj province was attacked and at least 65 people were injured. He said that as the rescue team is still clearing the scene, the number of casualties may rise.

The scene at the scene showed several charred bodies on the ground, with ambulance sirens in the background.

Yemeni officials said that at least three explosions occurred at the air base, which is controlled by an internationally recognized government. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yemen has been involved in the civil war since 2014, when Houthi rebels swept across most of the north and occupied the capital Sana’a, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. The following year, the Saudi-led coalition fought on the side of the government.

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Officials said a ballistic missile landed in the training area of ​​the base, where dozens of soldiers were conducting morning exercises. The medical staff described the chaotic scene after the explosion. The soldiers carried the injured colleague to a safe place, fearing another attack.

Officials accused the Houthis of launching an attack on the base, which used to be the site of US intelligence operations against Al Qaeda’s powerful Yemeni branch. These officials requested anonymity because they did not have the right to report the situation to the media.

The military spokesperson of the Houthis did not confirm or deny the attack because it was characteristic of Iranian-backed insurgents. The Houthis have also launched similar attacks before, including an attack on Al-Anad by a drone carrying a bomb in January 2019, which killed 6 soldiers.

The Houthis took over the base within a few months of taking over Sana’a in 2014, and the government forces regained the base in a battle to reverse the gains of the rebels.