US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday the US targeted five weapons storage Houthi locations in Yemen Austin said on a statement that US military forces, including US Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. US 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, the statement added. Austin added, "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." "For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked US and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden," he said. Austin noted that, "the Houthis' illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces' lives at risk. " "At the direction of President Biden," Austin added, "I authorized these targeted strikes 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." He stressed that, "the US 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 US, coalition, and merchant vessels." Source: Kuwait News Agency
