The United Kingdom has confirmed that it carried out a coordinated airstrike with France on an underground facility in Syria, believed to have been used by the Islamic State (IS) group to store weapons and explosives.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, Royal Air Force aircraft successfully targeted the site in a joint operation with French forces. “This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the ministry said in an official statement, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.
The ministry emphasized that the bombing, located north of the ancient city of Palmyra, posed no known threat to civilians. Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its ancient ruins, was once under the control of jihadist fighters, highlighting the ongoing importance of securing the area from extremist threats.
Although IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, the group continues to maintain a presence, particularly in the vast desert regions. The latest strike follows heightened tensions after a recent attack by a lone IS gunman in Palmyra, which resulted in the deaths of two US soldiers and one US civilian. In response, US forces targeted dozens of IS positions in Syria.
Operations like this underscore the continued cooperation between international partners in countering extremist threats while carefully minimizing risks to civilian populations. The joint strike demonstrates that, even years after losing territorial control, vigilance against IS remains crucial to regional security.
