DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – U.S. B-2 long-range stealth bombers launched airstrikes early Thursday targeting underground bunkers used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what damage the attack caused.
But it is highly unusual for B-2 Spirits to be used in attacks against the Houthis, who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea corridor for months over the Israeli-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi satellite news channel Al-Masira reported air strikes around Yemen’s capital Sanaa, where the Houthis have been based since 2014. It also reported air strikes around the Houthi stronghold of Saada. They did not provide immediate information on damage or casualties.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the B-2 bombers targeted “five fortified underground weapons caches in Houthi-held areas of Yemen.” The attack also appeared to be an indirect warning to Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, which has targeted Israel twice in the past year with ballistic missile attacks.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities, no matter how deeply buried, fortified, or fortified, that our adversaries are trying to keep out of their reach,” Austin said. he said.
Austin and U.S. Central Command did not provide an immediate assessment of the damage caused.
The Red Sea has become a battleground for shippers ever since the Houthis launched a campaign targeting ships that ply the waterway, through which $1 trillion in cargo once a year passed.
Since the start of the war in Gaza last October, the Houthis have targeted more than 80 commercial ships with missiles and drones. In this operation, they captured one ship, sunk two others, and killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones were intercepted by the U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, including Western warships.
The rebels claim they are targeting ships with ties to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom in order to force an end to Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection to the conflict, including those bound for Iran.
The Houthis also continue to fire missiles at Israel, and have also shot down a number of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones. Rebels are threatening new attacks following Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
