The United States attacked Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday for the first-time using B-2 stealth bombers. These strikes aimed at five centres containing weapons stored in underground by the Houthis, as said by the US Defense Secretary.
This was done in continuation of Houthi’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea corridor that has increased during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The B-2 bombers which are able to carry a large number of bombs make a qualitative leap compared to fighters used in the region before.
Airstrikes were conducted in areas around the Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the Houthi-controlled Saada region according to the reports. Though, the scale of the damage is still unknown, such attacks can be regarded as a signal to both the Houthis and their main sponsor, Iran, which has already targeted the Israeli interests.
Lloyd Austin, the US defense secretary, pointed out that the strike illustrated that the US had capabilities for targeting deeply buried structures which were well fortified to showcase the deep military reach against adversaries that are seeking ways to hide their property. The US has yet to release more information on the effects of the strikes.
