US Bombs Houthi Weapons Sites in Yemen Amidst Regional Tensions
The United States military has carried out airstrikes against five Houthi-controlled underground weapons storage facilities in Yemen, Al Jazeera reports, citing US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The strikes, conducted by B-2 bombers, targeted hardened underground facilities used to store weapons components, according to Austin.
The Pentagon justified the strikes by citing continued attacks on civilian and military vessels in the region, which have disrupted international trade.
US Central Command issued a statement indicating their damage assessment did not reveal any civilian casualties.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have been responsible for over 100 missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea since the start of the war in Gaza. While these attacks are framed as a show of support for Palestinians facing Israeli bombardment, the group has also targeted vessels with no obvious connection to the conflict.
These latest US airstrikes come just one day after UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed alarm over the potential for Yemen to be dragged further into the escalating military conflict in the Middle East. “While Yemenis yearn for peace, hopes for an end to escalating violence in the region seem distant,” Grundberg told the UN Security Council.
The US military action has raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in Yemen, a country already ravaged by years of war and humanitarian crisis.
