British and French air forces conducted a joint precision strike on a suspected Islamic State (IS) underground arms depot in central Syria earlier this week, according to a statement from the UK Defense Ministry. The operation targeted a mountain facility north of Palmyra, historically significant for its ancient ruins and recent IS activity.
Royal Air Force jets deployed Paveway IV guided bombs to destroy access tunnels to the storage site, which authorities claim was used to stockpile weapons. Initial assessments indicate the strike successfully neutralized the facility. The ministry emphasized the area was uninhabited, with no civilian casualties reported.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated the operation underscores a commitment to "stamp out any resurgence" of IS through allied cooperation. This follows a U.S.-led strike two weeks ago involving over 100 precision munitions against 70 IS targets in central Syria, triggered by a deadly December 13 ambush in Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
Western coalition forces have intensified counterterrorism patrols in Syria since IS lost territorial control in 2019. Analysts warn that despite diminished capabilities, the group remains a persistent threat through asymmetric warfare tactics.
