A B-2 Spirit prepares to be refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker during a nighttime aerial refueling mission over Southern Kansas, Oct. 21, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota)
B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers and other assets of the United States Air Force and Navy carried out on October 17 a series of strikes against alleged weapons storage facilities in areas controlled by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
“Today, U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement released by the Pentagon.
The Secretary of Defense noted that the strikes were launched at the direction of President Joe Bide to “further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
“Again, the United States will not hesitate to take action to defend American lives and assets; to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners; and to protect freedom of navigation and increase the safety and security in these waterways for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” Austin added.
In a separate statement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the strikes targeted hardened underground facilities of the Houthis, where missiles, weapons components, and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region were stored.
“U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers, were part of the operation. The employment of the B-2 bomber demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to reach these targets, when necessary, anytime, anywhere,” the command added.
The CENTCOM also stated that battle damage assessments were underway with no indications of any civilian casualties in the strikes.
Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, reported that a total of 15 strikes had hit the capital Sanaa and the northern province of Saada.
Six strikes hit the areas of al-Telefeen, al-Hafaa, and Jarban, to the north and south of the capital. In Saada, nine strikes targeted the areas of Kahlan and al-Abla, to the east of the province center. No casualties were reported by the news channel.
Since November, the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have attacked dozens of vessels affiliated with Israel or owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in response to the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.
The group also launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel and shot down at least eleven American-made combat drones over Yemen and nearby waters.
The U.S. and the UK have carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen since January. Israel also launched two waves of strikes against civilian infrastructure in al-Hodeidah in July and September. However, the aerial campaign failed to deter the Houthis or degrade their capabilities.
The employment of B-2 bombers in the latest wave of U.S. strikes on Yemen was likely meant as a message to Iran which is currently bracing for an Israeli strike in retaliation to the October 1 missile attack.
Austin even said in his statement after the strikes that the employment of the advanced bombers “demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”
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one of these will get shot down.
that would be funny
one was, over yugoslavia, by a very old/ obsolescent s200 missile battery commanded by a very capable yugoslav officer called colonel zoltan. i think these cost the us $2,200 million each.
that was an f-117. there were unconfirmed reports that a b-2 also got shot down.
you could be right, i confuse the two.
iran can prolly hit these on the air strip in diago garcia, but might need north korea to pop off the ones hiding in guam. sad day in hell for the zionists when they have to use a hammer to attack sand flies…
unfortunately diego garcia is outside the advertised range of iran’s missiles, but their new (russian) sa missile defense systems will have no problem downing them on the way in.
early new year fire works for houthis. tks southfront. i was looking every where for videos to enjoy the show.
this time the us got lucky, the houthis will in future be waiting for them.
e o nevoie de cuie pt clovn. trimiteti l la el. imediat ajunge bucati. daca era b 21 cu atat mai bine. nu mai au bombardiere. n au cu ce cara bombele. asta arata. au nevoie de multe bombe sa i dovedeasca pe houti. si mai cred ca motorul rachetei de 11 minute de acun o luna era nord corean. daca datele sunt corecte era hipersonic. mai inseamna ca kim a început sa cedeze tehnologie la kamarazi.
whack a mole. play stupid games. win stupid prizes
it would be fantastic if a f-14am or buk bags one.
the us back to its favorite kind of war : the one where they shoot at brown people who can’t fight back.
the same as the jews – civilans have a better fear factor for the public and thus lets bomb the **** out of the infidels a la jews and moronic states of a. lloyd iii, just too comic to let ut pass!
while back at home, they let brown people shot and rape white people, and prevent the white people from fighting back. typical jewish tyranny…
didnt they shoot down some reaper drones recently? would be too funny if the huthis would take down a b2 and then they post a “sorry we didnt know it was stealth” meme.
biden/harris have b-2s bombers to bomb houthies but the hillbilly air force and their helicopters are the first responders to the appalachia disasters in america as the usa prioritizes israel , ukraine and globalism over all else
the mighty uncle sam is being humiliated by a third-world militia. go houthis!!! 👍
using a b2 long range stealth bomber just tells us how worried the morons in the white house are and how worried lloyd iii is!
so, the us is using their b2 on civilians again, like they did on americans on 9/11. a plane can’t cut through a trade tower, but a jdam sure did…
iran will close that airspace with s400/500 missiles systems. they will have a big surprise if they try that again.
russia should actively track these and help the houthis bring one down.
the chinese did is supposedly in serbia to help take down a f117 nighhawk and got their embassy bombed as revenge. to this day there was no chinese realiation. since the russians are not taking down the us reaper drones who are giving the target intel to hit crimea time and time again i dont see them doing this.
lloyd austin the dei shineboy in the pentagram
sheeeit…nigga got a guud job now
lol
austin the us dod ‘diversity hire’ in “demonstrates u.s. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.” forgot to mention that does not include russia or china.