(Bloomberg) -- US B-2 stealth bombers struck weapons storage sites linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen, the latest effort to blunt attacks by the Iran-backed group that have roiled commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The strikes hit what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement were five hardened underground facilities. He said the use of the B-2 bombers was intended to send a message.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin added.
US Central Command said in a separate statement that the bunkers contained “missiles, weapons components and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region.”
Central Command added that US Air Force and Navy personnel took part in the operation and that there was no indication so far of civilian casualties.
The US and Israel have repeatedly struck the Houthis, who started attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after Israel began its campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack.
Earlier: Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Disrupt Global Trade, US Spies Say
Yet despite numerous strikes on the group, the allies have so far been unable to halt its attacks. In a June assessment, American intelligence officials said Houthi assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea led to a 90% decline in container shipping through the area between December and February.
The B-2s flew to their targets from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. It marked the first time since January 2017 that the wing-shaped stealth bomber has flown a combat mission. Back then, two B-2s flew 30-hour round-trip mission to bomb an Islamic State training camp in Libya.
Each B-2 is capable of carrying as much as 20 tons of bombs, including 80 500-pound GPS-guided munitions.
(Updates with Central Command statement, starting in fourth paragraph. An earlier version corrected the spelling of Whiteman Air Force Base.)
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