The US military dispatched B-2 bombers for the first time to bomb the Houthis

US B-2 stealth bombers attacked weapons storage sites linked to the Houthis in Yemen. This is the latest effort by the US to thwart attacks carried out by this Iranian-backed organization. These attacks disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Lloyd Austin) said in a statement that the attack hit five sturdy underground facilities. The B-2 bomber was used to deliver a message, he said.

Austin added, “This is a unique demonstration of America's ability to strike down facilities our adversaries are trying to keep us out of reach, no matter how deep underground, how fortified or sturdy they are.”

The US Central Command said in another statement that the bunker contained “missiles, weapon components, and other ammunition to attack military and civilian vessels throughout the region.”

Central Command added that US Air Force and Navy personnel participated in the operation, and there are no signs of civilian casualties so far.

After Israel began taking action against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year, the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Although the coalition forces have attacked the group several times, it has not been possible to stop its attacks so far.

US intelligence officials said in an assessment report in June that the Houthis attack on Red Sea merchant ships led to a 90% reduction in container shipping through the region between December last year and February of this year.

B-2 bombers flew to target from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. This is the first time since January 2017 that an airfoil stealth bomber has carried out a combat mission. Back then, two B-2 bombers carried out a 30-hour round-trip mission and bombed an Islamic State training camp in Libya.

Each B-2 can carry up to 20 tons of bombs, including 80 500 pounds of GPS-based missile medicine.