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UK, France join forces to fight Islamic State in Syria

UK, France join forces to fight Islamic State in Syria

On January 3, 2026, an underground facility operated by a terrorist group in northern Palmyra, Syria, was attacked by attack aircraft in a coordinated attack.

Against the background of global news focus, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced the operation on the evening of January 3 U.S. Actions in Venezuelashortly after the mission was completed.

Defense Secretary John Healey said: “This action demonstrates our British leadership and determination to fight alongside our allies to eliminate any resurgence of ISIS and its dangerous and violent ideology in the Middle East.”

The Royal Air Force contingent on this mission used Typhoon FGR4s and deployed Paveway IV precision-guided bombs against underground complexes. They were supported by Voyager tankers and all flew From RAF Akrotiri Located within the British territory of the island of Cyprus.

Unlike some recent missions, it is worth noting that this strike does not appear to have entered through Syrian airspace, but instead followed a historical route through Israeli and Jordanian airspace. New routes are used more frequently Since the change of leadership in Syrianow apparently allowing coalition aircraft to fly over its airspace with government permission.

Royal Air Force aircraft are entering Syrian airspace via Israel and Jordan. (Image source: Flightradar24.com)

The aircraft involved in the attack almost certainly entered Syrian airspace around 1730 UTC and returned after 1900 UTC. Routine shader operation task – the operation code assigned to the task UK military intervention against Islamic Statealso known as ISIS or ISIL, can be tracked on a regular basis in a similar manner, so this does not have a greater impact on operational security than usual. In fact, if someone sees or hears them preparing for a mission but does not have ADS-B or S mode enabled, it could let an adversary know that they are planning a more unusual attack.

The French Air Force sent Rafale fighter jets to participate in activities at bases in the Middle East. Video footage posted by official social media accounts showed the plane carrying AASM Hammer Assault weapon, this is probably the type used in this mission. French tankers may also be involved. Unlike RAF sorties, few French operations in the region can be tracked using flight tracking apps.

in its announcementThe British Ministry of Defense said that after careful intelligence analysis, it had identified the target and suspected that it had been used to store weapons and explosive materials. The location was far away from any civilians and no threat to civilian life was identified during the attack. this Paveway IV BombThe bomb, based on a 500-pound Mark 82 general-purpose bomb, targeted access routes to the facility. At the time of the statement, a more detailed battle damage assessment (BDA) had not been completed, but preliminary assessments (possibly captured by the LITENING targeting pod carried by Typhoon FGR4) indicate that the mission was successful.

The facility is located in the mountains north of the ancient city of Palmyra. UNESCO World Heritage Site During the Syrian Civil War, this place became a battleground for military strategists. In addition to the damage caused by fighting and airstrikes, ISIS has deliberately dismantled some of the city’s ancient features and gained notoriety Behead the site’s antiquities director He was publicly executed after he refused to reveal the details and locations of some of the city’s most precious treasures.

Analysts use open source data for geolocation Samir (@obretix) It was shown that the facility is located approximately 40 kilometers north of Palmyra and there is absolutely no risk of causing any damage to the historic fabric surrounding the site.

Although the Islamic State has not occupied large swaths of territory in Syria since the 2019 battle of Baghuz al-Faqani, some of the group’s influence still exists in small, concentrated areas. In September 2024, the United States announced military intervention against the Islamic State Nearing the end Over the next 12 months, the transition to a new phase will be British statement echoes. Although more than 12 months have passed, operations against Daesh show little sign of slowing down compared to before the announcement, with both Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Coloring continuing to be active.

this Official social media presence The Joint Task Force participating in Operation Resolve shared news of the mission, saying: “While the Islamic State no longer controls territory, it continues to operate through remaining groups, particularly in remote desert areas. This operation demonstrates the continued unity, capabilities and determination of Operation Resolve partners, including France and the United Kingdom, to disrupt the Islamic State’s ability to reorganize, rearm and launch attacks.”