The United States military has bombed a series of targets in areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi group, the US defence chief has said.

US Air Force B-2 stealth bombers conducted “precision strikes” against five underground weapons storage locations, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday.

The Houthis’ Al Masirah TV satellite news channel reported air strikes around Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014, and around its stronghold of Saada. It provided no immediate information on damage or casualties.

The latest bombing raids come a day after the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned that the country was at risk of being dragged further into the military escalation in the Middle East.