British and French aircraft have carried out a joint airstrike on an underground Islamic State facility in Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The operation targeted access tunnels to a site in the mountainous region near the ancient city of Palmyra on Saturday evening.
Guided bombs were used to destroy the tunnels, which were believed to conceal weapons and explosives. The MoD stated that initial indications suggest the strike was successful, and the area was clear of civilians at the time of the attack.
Typhoon FGR4 combat jets, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker, conducted the bombing. The facility had likely been used by Islamic State to store munitions, according to the ministry.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK was determined to “stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies” and “stamp out any resurgence” of the militant group. He thanked the armed forces personnel involved in the operation “to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life”.
Western aircraft have been conducting regular patrols over Syria to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which controlled parts of the country until its territorial defeat in 2019.
