US bombs Yemen again as Pentagon says it can strike "anytime, anywhere"
Sanaa, Yemen - The US bombed Yemen again on Wednesday, with the Pentagon claiming it targeted multiple weapon storage facilities in areas controlled by the Houthi movement.
"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," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
He also claimed B-2 bombers conducted precision strikes against five underground weapon storage locations, boasting that use of the long-range stealth bomber demonstrates "US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere."
The US and Britain have repeatedly bombed Yemen, where the Houthi movement has vowed to target international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians being killed en masse by Israel in Gaza.
"At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis' capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend US forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways," Austin said.
CENTCOM, the US military command responsible for US forces in the Middle East, said on social media that there were no initial indications of civilian casualties from Wednesday's mission.
Cover photo: TIM SLOAN / AFP