DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-range B-2 bombers from the United States bombed underground arsenals used by the Houthis in Yemen early Thursday. It was not clear at the moment what damages the attacks caused.
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There are no previous reports of the United States using the B-2 Spirit against the Houthis, who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea corridor for months due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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The Houthi satellite news channel, al-Masirah, reported air strikes around the capital of Yemen, Sana'a, which the group has held since 2014. It also reported attacks around Saada, a rebel stronghold, but did not provide information on damages or casualties.
Why did the United States attack the Houthis?
The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said in a statement that the B-2 bombers targeted "five reinforced underground weapons storage sites in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen."
The attack also seemed to be an indirect warning to Iran —the main supporter of the Houthis—, which has launched ballistic missiles against Israel twice in the past year. The B-2s would be used in any American attack against fortified Iranian nuclear facilities such as Natanz or Fordo since it is the only aircraft in service capable of dropping the GBU-57, known as the "Massive Ordnance Penetrator".
"This was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to attack facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of their reach, no matter how deeply buried or fortified they may be," Austin said.
Neither Austin nor the US Central Command offered an immediate assessment of the damage caused, but the Command said in a statement that initial assessments suggested there were no civilian casualties.
What's happening in the Red Sea?
The Red Sea has become a battlefield for merchants since the Houthis started their campaign against the vessels sailing through the area, which used to handle cargo worth one trillion dollars annually.
The rebels have attacked more than 80 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023. They have seized one ship and sunk two, in addition to killing four sailors.
Other missiles and drones have been successfully intercepted by a coalition led by the United States in the Red Sea, or did not reach their targets, including Western military vessels.
The rebels claim that they attack vessels linked to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom to force an end to the Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted have little or no connection to the conflict, and some were even heading to Iran.
The Houthis also continue to fire missiles at Israel and have shot down several US military drones MQ-9 Reaper.
The description and locations mentioned by the Houthis on Thursday correspond to known underground bases operated by the rebels, who are immersed in a stalemate war against a coalition led by Saudi Arabia since 2015 that has devastated the poorest nation in the Arab world.
What are the characteristics of the B-2?
The US military rarely uses the B-2, which has nuclear capability and first saw action in the Kosovo War in 1999, in combat, as the cost of each aircraft is around 1 billion dollars.
They have also been used to drop bombs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. They are based in Whiteman, Missouri, and usually carry out long-range attacks from there, although in September there were some B-2s in Australia.