The United States on Wednesday conducted multiple B-2 bomber strikes on weapon storage facilities in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to the US military and defense department.
“US forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
B-2 bombers conducted precision strikes against five underground weapon storage locations, Austin said, adding that use of the long-range stealth bomber demonstrates “US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”
The United States and Britain have repeatedly carried out strikes aimed at curbing the Houthis’ ability to target shipping, but the rebels’ attacks on merchant vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have persisted.
“At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” Austin said.
CENTCOM, the US military command responsible for US forces in the Middle East, said on social media that there were no initial indications of civilian casualties from Wednesday’s mission.