The facilities contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, official Said.
The US military conducted multiple air strikes on several underground Houthi weapons storage facilities inside Yemen, a US defense official told late on Wednesday.
The facilities contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the official said.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that US Air Force B-2 bombers conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin said in a statement, highlighting the advanced precision capabilities of the US military.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said battle damage assessments were underway, but initial indications showed no civilian casualties in the strikes. CENTCOM also said that US Navy assets were used but did not elaborate.
Austin slammed the Houthis for recklessly and unlawfully attacking US and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden over the last year.
He said the Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and US and partner forces’ lives at risk.
“At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” Austin said.
Shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza, Yemen’s Houthis began targeting military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which they assessed to have any ties to Israel. The Iran-backed group has been firing indiscriminately and hit several ships with no links to the US or Israel. This has included a ship heading to Yemen with food and a Chinese-owned and operated oil tanker.
This sparked a US-led campaign to deter the Houthis from continuing their attacks. The campaign, which involved multiple air strikes and the deployment of aircraft carrier strike groups, aimed to significantly degrade the Houthis’ capability to threaten international vessels. A recent study cited the US Navy as estimating around $1 billion worth of munitions were used as of June. The study calculated that the Pentagon could need another $2 billion in emergency funding over the next few months to continue the fight against the Houthis.
The US has also deployed multiple aircraft carrier strike groups to the Red Sea. According to the report, a fully loaded and operating carrier strike group costs close to $9 million per day. “Thus in total, US activities in the region have already cost at least approximately $4.86 billion and are likely to rise steeply unless the wider conflict with the Houthis and other regional actors is resolved,” the study said.
