Fahd Al-Khulaifi, first deputy governor of Yemen's Shabwa province, warned that the Houthi group has supplied some terrorist organizations with drone technology as part of what he described as ongoing cooperation between the two sides.
His remarks came after a Houthi missile attack on Monday targeted the Martyr Ahmed Al-Sulaimani Training Center on the outskirts of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province in southeastern Yemen.
Local authorities reported that the facility was struck by three ballistic missiles while newly recruited internal security personnel were undergoing training, leaving more than 70 people dead and over 200 wounded.
In exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Khulaifi said Houthi attacks would not break the resilience of Shabwa's residents but would instead strengthen their determination to confront the group.
He said local authorities possess information confirming cooperation between the Houthis and terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, noting that the Houthis had enabled some of these groups to acquire drone technology.
According to Al-Khulaifi, this cooperation is evident in attacks targeting security forces, the Shabwa Defense Forces and the Nation's Shield Forces as they pass through the province en route to other governorates.
Local authorities announced that those killed would be officially recognized as having died in the line of duty, with their salaries permanently allocated to their families. They also pledged to safeguard the rights and financial entitlements of the wounded and ensure payment without delay, while mobilizing the necessary resources to provide medical care.
Al-Khulaifi said the dead and wounded were newly recruited members of the province's police and security agencies.
He noted that Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al-Wazir had revealed that local authorities possess evidence of cooperation between the Houthis and other terrorist organizations.
Al-Khulaifi added that such coordination had intensified recently and was being monitored by security agencies.
He said the Houthis and terrorist organizations were carrying out direct attacks and planting explosive devices and booby traps along roads and at locations used by security forces and the Shabwa Defense Forces.
He added that their cooperation had expanded to include the use of drones after the Houthis provided some of these organizations with the necessary technology.
Al-Khulaifi stressed that such terrorist acts would not undermine the determination of Shabwa's residents to confront the Houthis.
He called on the Arab Coalition to support the front lines with advanced weapons capable of countering Houthi military capabilities, particularly drones, and to provide ground-based air defense systems to intercept ballistic missiles.
Shabwa's local authorities held the Iran-backed Houthi group fully responsible for the attack and the resulting casualties, describing the targeting of recruits during training as an extremely serious military escalation.
They also called for urgent measures to protect military and security facilities and their personnel.
Meanwhile, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi was briefed on developments following the attack during a telephone call with Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al-Wazir.
Al-Alimi instructed the relevant authorities to provide necessary medical treatment to the wounded, care for the families of those killed, complete procedures to settle their entitlements and ensure payment of their salaries, and take the necessary measures to respond firmly to the sources of the attack.
He said the targeting of recruits reflected what he described as the Houthis' tendency to resort to attacks whenever they faced pressure or setbacks in plans backed by the Iranian regime.
Al-Alimi stressed that such attacks would not deter the state from fulfilling its responsibilities to protect citizens and restore national institutions.
He also vowed that the victims' deaths would not go unanswered, emphasizing that caring for their families and honoring their sacrifices was a national responsibility.