British and French warplanes carried out a coordinated air strike against the tunnels of an underground shelter used by the Islamic State (ISIS) in the mountainous area near the Syrian city of Tadmur (Palmyra).
The operation was directed against a facility that was used by the extremist organization as a warehouse for weapons and explosives.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the attack was carried out using guided bombs Paveway IVwhich were dropped from the fighter planes of the British Royal Air Force type Typhoon FGR4. The mission received logistical assistance from a Voyager model aerial refueling aircraft, which is responsible for in-flight refueling.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the target was successfully attacked, and as a result the underground infrastructure used by the terrorist organization was destroyed. The British authorities said that the operation significantly reduced the operational capacity of the Islamic State in the region.
Britain’s Defense Secretary, John Healy, said the operation reinforces the United Kingdom’s commitment to regional security. According to him, the attack illustrates Britain’s leadership and its willingness to act in cooperation with allies, to prevent any attempt by the extremist organization to regroup in the Middle East.
Today, the United States leads an international coalition focused on fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Although the organization has lost most of its territory, it still maintains operatives in both countries, carries out attacks and uses remote areas for reorganizing.
In December, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out Operation Hawkeye Strike, a large-scale attack against positions of the Islamic State in Syria. The operation included the use of fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery support, with the aim of weakening the remaining cells of the organization.
Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility; whilst detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully. pic.twitter.com/IPBOv3rCeR
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 3, 2026
Source and images: X @DefenceHQ | Crown copyright. This content is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
