The US sends stealth bombers to attack Houthi rebel bunkers

The US military sent B-2 stealth bombers on Thursday to attack underground bunkers used by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

This attack appeared to be the B-2's first combat mission in years and the first time the flying wing targeted targets in Yemen.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Associated Press that B-2 bombers attacked “five fortified underground weapons depots in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”

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FILE-A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber lands at RAF Fairford in Goucestershire. (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images)

U.S. officials did not provide any details on the damage caused by the attack and told the AP that they did not believe any civilians were killed in the attack.

The AP reported that the Red Sea has become a battleground for shipping companies since the Houthis began attacking ships traveling through the waterway that once carried $1 trillion worth of cargo annually.

Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked more than 80 commercial vessels with missiles and drones.

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They also captured one ship and sank two during the campaign, also killing four sailors. The AP noted that other missiles and drones were either intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which included Western military ships.

According to the AP, the rebels say they are targeting ships with ties to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel's conflict against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

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The Houthis also continue to fire rockets at Israel and have shot down US military MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Rebels have threatened new attacks in response to Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The B-2's deployment to Yemen came just two days after UN special envoy Hans Grundberg warned that the frozen war in Yemen was threatening the wars in the Middle East and the Houthis' capture of UN and aid workers in a crackdown that drew international criticism could worsen, the AP noted.