UK and France launch joint strike on underground facility in Syria occupied by IS, says MoD
Guided bombs were used to target a number of access tunnels down to the site.
The UK and France launched a joint strike on an underground facility in Syria occupied by IS, the Ministry of Defence has said.
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RAF Typhoons joined French aircraft in the joint strike on an underground facility on Saturday evening.
Guided bombs were used to target a number of access tunnels down to the site, located in the mountains north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the centre of the country.
The facility had been used “by Daesh”, most likely to store weapons and explosives, and the surrounding area is devoid of civilians, the UK Government said.
A detailed assessment is under way and there are initial signs that the target was reached successfully, according to officials.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to “prevent any attempted resurgence” of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
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The @RoyalAirForce have continued to conduct patrols over Syria to help prevent any attempted resurgence of the Daesh terrorist movement.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 3, 2026
The RAF joined French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground facility on the evening of Saturday 3 January: https://t.co/k3pV3OVvIi pic.twitter.com/mk9XvnPMpH
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK was determined to “stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies” to “stamp out any resurgence” of the terrorist movement, also known as the Islamic State.
He thanked members of the armed forces involved in the operation “to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life.”