US B-2 stealth bombers attack Houthi rebel bunkers in Yemen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. B-2 long-range bombers launched airstrikes early Thursday morning on underground bunkers they use Yemen's Houthi rebelsofficials said.

It was not immediately clear what damage the attacks had caused.

However, there are no previous reports of the use of the B-2 Spirit in attacks on the Houthis, who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea corridor for months the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis' satellite news channel al-Masirah reported airstrikes around the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014. They also reported attacks around the Houthi stronghold of Saada. They did not provide any immediate information about damage or casualties.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the B-2 bombers struck “five fortified underground weapons depots in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.”

The attack also appeared to be an indirect warning to Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor targeted ballistic missile attacks on Israel twice last year. The B-2 would be used in each American attack on secured Iranian nuclear facilities like Natanz or Fordo, as it is the only aircraft in service that can drop this GBU-57, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries want to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried, fortified or fortified,” Austin said.

Austin and the U.S. military's Central Command did not provide an immediate assessment of the damage caused. However, Central Command said in a statement that initial assessments suggested no civilians had been killed.

The Red Sea has become a battleground for shippers since the Houthis began their campaign against ships passing through the waterway that once carried $1 trillion worth of cargo annually.

Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked more than 80 commercial vessels with missiles and drones seized a ship And Two were sunk in the campaign Four sailors also died. Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which included Western military ships.

The rebels claim they are targeting ships with ties to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis continue to fire rockets at Israel and have shot down several US military MQ-9 Reaper drones. In response, the rebels threatened new attacks Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon and it is Killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The descriptions and locations given by the Houthis on Thursday correspond to known underground bases of the rebels, who have been in a stalled war with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 that has decimated the Arab world's poorest country.

The Houthis have renovated tunnels that once housed Scud missiles destined for Yemen when the country was ruled strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh during his 33-year reign, according to an April analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. These sites include the al-Hafa and Jabal Attan military bases, the former presidential house and the Yemeni state television compound in Sanaa, wrote analyst Fabian Hinz.

Hinz added that the Houthis also appeared to have built their own large network of tunnels near Saada.

“The fact that after the Houthis agreed, the Houthis began building large new facilities Ceasefire with the Saudi-led coalition suggests the group is focused on consolidating itself and strengthening its military capabilities,” he wrote. Iran also relies on a network of underground missile bases.

The nuclear-capable B-2, first used in the 1999 Kosovo war, is rarely used in combat by the U.S. military because each aircraft is worth about $1 billion. Bombs were also dropped in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The planes are based at Whiteman Air Base, Missouri, and typically conduct long-range strikes from there, although some B-2s were in Australia in September.