UK and French forces carried out a joint air strike in central Syria over the weekend, targeting what London described as an underground facility believed to have been used by Islamic State (IS) militants to store weapons and explosives.
In a statement issued on 3 January 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence said RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft participated alongside French warplanes in the strike, which hit a tunnel network in mountainous terrain north of Palmyra in Syria’s Homs province. The UK said Paveway IV precision guided bombs were used to target multiple access tunnels leading into the underground structure, which was assessed as being used by Daesh.
The UK said the site was located in an area with no known civilian presence, and initial battle damage indications suggested the target was successfully engaged. French authorities confirmed their participation and described the mission as part of ongoing counter terrorism operations.
Operational details released by the UK indicate a standard NATO style strike package. The Typhoons were supported by a Voyager air to air refuelling tanker, providing extended loiter time and allowing the aircraft to operate at distance without reliance on regional basing.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the strike was intended to prevent any resurgence of IS and protect UK and allied security, framing the operation as a pre emptive action against a group that continues to conduct attacks through sleeper cells. The mission followed recent US operations in the same region after an IS ambush near Palmyra killed two US soldiers and an interpreter in December, underlining wider coalition concern about militant activity along Syria’s central desert corridor.
Although IS no longer holds significant territory in Syria, the UN has assessed that thousands of fighters remain across Syria and Iraq, sustaining an insurgent threat that coalition members continue to target from the air.
