The British military, supported by the French Air Force, attacked an Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia facility in Syria.
Jan 4, 2026, 5:38 amJan 4, 2026, 5:38 am
The British government announced on Sunday night that a joint attack had been carried out on an underground terrorist facility north of the ancient site of Palmyra. Guided bombs were used to destroy access tunnels to the facility where IS “most likely” stored weapons and explosives. Initial evaluations indicated that the operation was a success.
Two French Rafale jets. (symbol image)Image: keystone
The British government also said the operation was carried out to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist militia. There are no civilian residential areas in the area surrounding the facility. British Defense Secretary John Healey said the action showed allies’ determination to stop any resurgence of IS in the Middle East.
Just around two weeks ago, the US military attacked more than 70 terrorist militia targets in Syria. A few days earlier, three Americans were killed in a suspected IS attack in Syria. These were the most violent attacks by the USA in Syria since the overthrow of long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad at the end of last year.
The USA leads an international coalition to fight IS in Syria. IS is considered to have been defeated militarily. However, IS cells are still active and continue to carry out attacks. US President Donald Trump had made it clear that the latest strikes were not directed against the Syrian transitional government under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He predicted that the country would have a “bright future” if IS was eradicated. (sda/dpa)