US forces launched a round of airstrikes at “hardened” underground Houthis’ weapons storage facilities in Yemen Wednesday night — the second attack on the Iran-backed terror group this month, according to the Department of Defense.
Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers fired multiple airstrikes on five storage locations holding advanced conventional weapons used by the Houthis to “target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden,” the US government said.
The latest military maneuver comes in response to the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on commercial ships and on Navy ships in the region.
Since last November, the Iran proxy group has carried out around 100 attacks as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
“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,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement Wednesday night.
“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.”
The US also fired 15 strikes against Houthis fighters in Yemen two weeks ago, targeting offensive military assets, Central Command said at the time.
Those airstrikes targeted several parts of Yemen, including the capital city, Sanaa and Hodeidah airport, according to the main television station run by the Houthis and residents.
The Middle East has been teetering on the brink of a wider conflict as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1,200 Israelis.
Hezbollah and the Jewish state also continue to exchange fire.
Austin vowed on Wednesday to make clear to the Houthis “there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks.”
With Post wires
