The U.S. launched airstrikes using B-2 bombers against five underground weapons storage locations controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated the facilities housed weapons used to target civilian and military vessels in the region. This was the first time B-2 bombers were used against the Houthis in Yemen, demonstrating the U.S. ability to target hardened and fortified facilities. The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in response to the war in Gaza and have announced their support for Hamas. The U.S. had previously launched airstrikes in January in response to Houthi attacks against commercial shipping. The strikes were authorized by President Biden to degrade Houthi capabilities and protect U.S. forces in critical waterways. The conflict in Yemen, ongoing since the Houthis seized the capital in 2014, has caused extreme hardship, with the United Nations declaring it the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. More than 18 million people in Yemen depend on humanitarian assistance due to the conflict.
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