US B-2 stealth bombers pounded Houthi weapon storage facilities in Yemen on Thursday morning, according to the Pentagon.
The United States Air Force’s B-2 spirit strategic bombers carried out precision strikes against ‘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.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah television network reported 15 strikes at dawn on Thursday local time targeting sites north and south of the capital Sanaa, as well as farther north in Saada governorate, a Houthi stronghold.
B-2 bombers conducted strikes against five underground weapons 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 US Air Force added: ‘The Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and US and partner forces’ lives at risk’.
The B-2s flew to their targets from Whiteman Air Force Base in the US state of Missouri, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Each B-2 is capable of carrying up to 20 tonnes of bombs, including 227kg GPS-guided munitions, the report added.
Over the last year, the US Air Force an the British RAF have carried out multiple strikes on Houthi targets in northern Yemen, but the rebels have continued to attack merchant vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Since last November, the Houthis have launched attacks on around 100 ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sinking two vessels.
The Red Sea has become a battlefield for shippers since the Houthis began their campaign targeting ships traveling through the waterway, which once saw $1trillion of cargo pass through it yearly.
The Houthis, part of the ‘axis of resistance’ of Iran-linked groups, have targeted ships they say have connections to Israel since November in what they describe as support for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
The attacks have seriously disrupted a route which carries 12 percent of global trade, triggering the reprisal strikes by the United States and Britain that began in January.
US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said on social media there were no initial indications of civilian casualties from Wednesday’s mission.
It said the US Air Force and the US Navy were used in the operation, which included the use of long-range stealth bombers.
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have forced major shipping companies to avoid the waterway, impacting international trade.
‘At the direction of President Biden, I authorised these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilising behavior and to protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways,’ Austin said.
He added that the US would ‘continue to make it clear’ to the Houthis that there would be ‘consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks’.
Mohammed al-Basha, a US-based Yemen and Middle East security analyst, said the use of B-2 bombers indicated Washington was taking ‘a firmer stance’ against the Houthis.
‘This operation signifies a shift in US policy, indicating a firmer stance against the group’s destabilising behavior as Washington intensifies efforts to degrade their military capabilities,’ Basha said.
In September, the Pentagon said the Houthis had launched a ‘complex attack’ on US Navy ships in the region, though all of the weapons were struck down.
There are no previous reports of the B-2 Spirit being used in strikes against the Houthis.
The nuclear-capable B-2 was first used in 1999 in the Kosovo war, and has been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya since. I
It is rarely used by the US military in combat as each aircraft is worth some $1billion.
As well as the direct attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Houthis have fired several missiles and drones at Israel directly.
In July, a drone launched from Yemen struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring 10.
The following month, the rebel group launched multiple missiles at Israel, including one that targeted Israel’s main airport.
Both times Israel responded by attacking sites in Yemen, and earlier this year, the US, UK and 12 other nations launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping lanes against the Houthis.
