Britain and France carried out a joint airstrike in Syria targeting an underground facility north of Palmyra that was likely used by the Islamic State group to store weapons, the British Ministry of Defence said.
“Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France,” the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. “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.”
- Advertisement -
The ministry added there was no indication the operation posed any risk to civilians. It did not provide details on munitions used or the number of aircraft involved.
The strike took place north of Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and a city that was once controlled by jihadist fighters. Islamic State militants seized and damaged parts of the archaeological site during the height of the group’s territorial control, before losing ground in subsequent years.
The announcement underscores ongoing efforts by European allies to target suspected Islamic State infrastructure in Syria. The group no longer holds the territory it once governed but maintains cells and support networks across parts of the country, according to public statements by Western governments in recent years.
Last month, a lone IS gunman in Palmyra attacked American personnel, killing two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian, according to U.S. officials. U.S. forces said they struck dozens of IS targets in Syria in retaliation.
Britain’s statement emphasized steps taken to avoid civilian harm, citing the isolated location of the facility and the assessment that it was being used for weapons storage. No information was released on potential militant casualties, and the ministry did not describe whether follow-on assessments were underway.
France’s military did not immediately release its own account of the operation, but the British description framed the action as coordinated, with Royal Air Force aircraft participating alongside French forces. London and Paris have previously flown strike missions against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, often highlighting the use of precision-guided munitions and deconfliction to limit risks to nearby communities.
Palmyra’s symbolic weight in the fight against the Islamic State group has remained high since militants overran the city in 2015, executed residents and heritage workers, and damaged renowned antiquities. The latest strike, positioned north of the ancient site, aligns with Western efforts to keep pressure on remnants of the group and deny it access to weapons and explosives that could enable future attacks.
The British ministry provided no timeline for additional operations but described the joint action as successful. It did not report any damage to cultural heritage sites.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
