The United States has carried out a series of attacks against the Houthis in Yemen, using B-2 stealth bombers to target five underground weapons storage facilities.
Here’s what you need to know about this attack:
Who are the Houthis and why is the US attacking them? The Houthis are part of a coalition of Iranian-backed militant groups in the Middle East.
The alliance, which spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq, has been attacking Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis say they will not stop attacking Israel and its allies until a ceasefire is reached in the Palestinian enclave.
The Houthis pose less of a threat to Israel or the United States than other Iranian proxies such as Hamas or Hezbollah, but in response to the war they have for months been forced to close the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways. They have targeted ships. In Gaza.
Austin said he authorized the U.S. attack at the direction of President Joe Biden to “further degrade” the Houthis’ capabilities following more than a year of attacks on U.S. and foreign shipping in the region. said. The defense secretary said the facilities stored “various weapons components” for weapons used to target ships in the Middle East.
Why did America use the B-2 bomber? Thursday’s attack is the first time the United States has used B-2 stealth bombers to attack Yemen’s Houthis since the war in Gaza began. The B-2 is a much larger platform and can carry much heavier bombs than fighter jets previously used to target Houthi facilities and weapons.
Austin said the U.S. military used the B-2 bomber “to keep it out of reach for the enemy, no matter how deeply buried, fortified, or fortified it is.” “This proved that the facility could be targeted by the United States,” he said.
How did the Houthis react? A Houthi spokesman said: “The US will pay a price for its invasion of Yemen. As we have said before, the US invasion will not deter Yemen from supporting Gaza.” .
