DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. long-range B-2 stealth bombers launched airstrikes early Thursday morning targeting underground bunkers used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what damage was done in the strikes.
However, it is incredibly rare for the B-2 Spirit to be used in the strikes targeting the Houthis, who have been attacking ships for months in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel reported airstrikes around Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014. They also reported strikes around the Houthi stronghold of Saada. They offered no immediate information on damage or casualties.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement said the B-2 bombers targeted “five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.” The strike also appeared to be an indirect warning to Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor who have twice targeted Israel with ballistic missile attacks over the last year.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin said.
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