According to a US official, B-2 stealth bombers and other aircraft targeted several locations linked to the Houthis. The Pentagon is expected to release a formal statement on the strikes in the coming days.
The Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in October. Despite numerous US and Israeli airstrikes against the Houthis, their attacks have continued unabated.
A US intelligence assessment released in June found that Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea had led to a 90% decline in container shipping through the region between December and February.
Bloomberg suggests the B-2s flew to their targets from the Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri. Since January 2017, it marked the first time that the wing-shaped stealth bomber had flown a combat mission. Each B-2 capable of carrying up to 20 tons of bombs, included 80 500-pound GPS-guided munitions.