CNN
—
The United States launched a series of strikes in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthis on Wednesday night, using B-2 stealth bombers to target five underground weapons storage facilities, according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. did.
The facility housed state-of-the-art conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, three U.S. defense officials told CNN after the attack.
“This will reduce the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of their reach, no matter how deeply buried, fortified, or fortified they are,” Austin said in a statement. It was a unique demonstration.” “The adoption of the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bomber demonstrates America’s global strike capability to take action against these targets whenever and wherever needed.”
This is the first time since the start of the U.S. military operation that the United States has used strategic stealth bombers to attack the Houthis in Yemen. 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 he authorized the attack at President Joe Biden’s direction to “further degrade” the Houthis’ capabilities following more than a year of attacks by the group on U.S. and foreign shipping in the region. The defense secretary said the attacked facility housed “various weapons components” for weapons used to target ships in the Middle East.
“We continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” he said.
According to Reuters, Houthi-run Al Masira TV reported that overnight airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the city of Saada early Thursday morning local time.
“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,” said Nasruddin, deputy director of the Houthi media department. Amell said. X.
The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways, for months and say the attacks are a response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. .
Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are all part of an Iranian-led alliance spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that has attacked Israel and its allies since the start of the war. They insist they will not stop attacking Israel and its allies until a ceasefire is established in the Palestinian enclaves.
The attack on the Houthis comes at a time of great tension in the region. Israel is expected to retaliate for Iran’s recent missile attacks ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, and is also in conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Gaza’s Hamas.
Wednesday’s airstrike (early Thursday local time) was the latest in a series of back-and-forth attacks by the Houthis and the United States, which has carried out sustained attacks on commercial shipping and naval assets in the region for months. . .
It also coincided with American military personnel beginning to arrive in Israel after the United States announced the deployment of an advanced anti-missile system to protect Israel from a barrage of Iranian missile attacks.
The United States has partnered with Britain in attacks against the Houthis in the past, but Wednesday’s attack was carried out by the United States alone. According to U.S. Central Command, both the U.S. Air Force and Navy were involved in the operation.
Over the past year, the United States has repeatedly attacked or intercepted Houthi drones and missiles in an effort to protect ships and degrade Houthi weapons.
In September, the Houthis claimed to have fired about 20 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at three U.S. destroyers. Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, said “at no time” has a cruise missile or drone hit a U.S. ship.
“We can confirm that there was no damage or collision to any U.S. vessels. There were no injuries to U.S. military personnel. I have confirmed that,” Singh said. “My understanding is that they were either engaged and shot down, or they failed.”
Just earlier this month, Centcom announced that the United States had struck 15 Houthi targets in Yemen, including “Houthi offensive military capabilities.”
In September, the Houthis fired a missile deep into Israel, but the Israeli military assessed that the missile “likely broke into fragments in mid-air and fell into vacant land within the country, causing no injuries.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in September that the Houthis would pay a “heavy price” for the attack. Just days later, the Israel Defense Forces announced that it had targeted power plants and ports in airstrikes against the Houthis.
The Houthis have since launched further attacks against Israel, launching a drone on October 1st in support of Hezbollah, and launching two missiles and multiple drones into the country on October 7th. claimed to have done so.
Regarding the latter attack, the Israeli military announced that Israel had intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired from Yemen toward central Israel.
Continued attacks on commercial ships by the Houthis have resulted in the deaths of several seafarers and caused serious environmental problems. In August, a Greek-flagged vessel was attacked, causing a fire and oil leak. The Pentagon warned of a “potential environmental catastrophe” at the time.
The United States has significant firepower in the region, a capability it has maintained since Hamas invaded Israel last October. CNN reported this month that the thousands of U.S. troops include an aircraft carrier strike group, several additional guided missile destroyers, an amphibious readiness group with a maritime expeditionary force, and a wide range of aircraft, including fighters and attack aircraft. Ta.
This story has been updated with additional details.
