(Reuters) – The United States carried out precision strikes on Wednesday against five underground weapons storage sites in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“U.S. forces attacked several of the Houthis’ underground facilities containing various weapon components of the types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region,” Austin said.
The attack comes after the US military earlier this month carried out 15 strikes against targets linked to Iran-allied Houthi fighters in Yemen, where residents reported explosions at military posts and an airport.
Houthi fighters in Yemen have carried out nearly 100 attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November and say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s year-long war in Gaza. They sank two ships, captured another, and killed at least four sailors.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on social media website X that its assessments of damage from the battle were ongoing and showed no civilian casualties.
