US B-2 bombers attack Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

(CNN)- The United States on Wednesday night launched strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen using B-2 stealth bombers, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Three US defense officials told CNN after the attack that the facilities housed advanced conventional weapons used to attack military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to strike facilities that our adversaries wish to keep inaccessible, no matter how deeply buried, hardened or fortified they are,” Austin said in a statement. ” “The use of the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrates America’s global strike capabilities to take action against these targets anytime, anywhere, when necessary.”

It was the first time the United States used a strategic stealth bomber to attack the Houthis in Yemen since the beginning of the American campaign. The B-2 is a much larger platform than the fighters previously used to attack Houthi installations and weapons, capable of carrying much heavier bomb loads.

Austin said he authorized the strikes on President Joe Biden’s orders to “further degrade” the Houthis’ capabilities after more than a year of Houthi attacks on US and international ships in the region. The Defense Secretary said the facilities housed “numerous weapons components” used to attack ships in the Middle East.

“We will continue to make it clear to the Houthis that their illegal and reckless attacks will have consequences,” he said.

The attack on the Iran-backed group comes at a time when tensions have increased in the region. Israel is expected to retaliate for Iran’s recent missile bombings ahead of the US elections on November 5 and its continuing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Wednesday’s attack – early Thursday morning local time – is the latest in a saga of attacks and counter-attacks between the Houthis and the United States, as the Houthis have been carrying out sustained attacks on commercial ships and US Navy assets in the region for months.

It also comes as American service members begin arriving in Israel after the United States announced the deployment of an advanced anti-missile system to help defend Israel following Iran’s missile bombings.

Although the United States has carried out strikes against the Houthis in the past in conjunction with the United Kingdom, Wednesday’s attack was carried out by the United States alone. According to US Central Command, both the US Air Force and Navy participated 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 impair Houthi arsenals. But the attacks by Iran-backed rebel groups have not stopped.

In September, the Houthis claimed to have launched nearly two dozen ballistic and cruise missiles and drones at three US destroyers. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said no cruise missile or drone hit a US ship “at any time.”

“I can confirm that no US ships have been damaged or affected. There were no injuries to American personnel. We saw a complex attack by the Houthis, which included cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles,” Singh said. “As I understand it, they were attacked and shot down or failed.”

Earlier this month, the United States struck 15 Houthi targets in Yemen, including “Houthi offensive military capabilities”, Centcom said.

The Iran-backed group claims it carries out attacks in support of Hamas in Gaza and, more recently, Hezbollah in Lebanon. In September, the Houthis fired a missile at Israel, although the Israel Defense Forces assessed that it “probably broke up in the air” and fell in an open area of ​​the country, causing no casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in September that the Houthis would pay a “heavy price” for the attack. A few days later, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they had struck power plants and a port in airstrikes against the Houthis.

The Houthis have since launched further attacks against Israel, claiming that on 1 October they launched drones in support of Hezbollah, and on 7 October they fired two missiles and several drones at the country.

The Israel Defense Forces said in the latest attack it had intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired from Yemen toward central Israel.

The Houthis’ frequent attacks on commercial shipping have resulted in the deaths of many sailors and caused serious environmental problems. In August, an attack on a Greek-flagged ship caused a fire and an oil leak; The Pentagon then warned of “potential environmental catastrophe”.

The United States has significant firepower in the region, and has done so since Hamas’s invasion of Israel last October. CNN reported this month that the thousands of U.S. troops included an aircraft carrier strike group, several additional guided missile destroyers, an amphibious group ready with a Marine expeditionary unit and a wide range of aircraft, including fighters and attack aircraft.