Screenshot from a video published on X on January 3, 2026, by the British Ministry of Defence, showing, according to the ministry, a Royal Air Force aircraft participating in strikes in Syria. @DEFENCEHQ/X.COM
British and French warplanes carried out an airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where members of the Islamic State group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, the British defense ministry said Sunday, January 3.
The strikes occurred Saturday evening on the structure in the mountains just north of the historic town of Palmyra in the country’s Homs province, the ministry's statement said. "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," the statement added.
The ministry said the British military used Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets supported by a Voyager refueling tanker and were joined by French aircraft in the joint strike. The British air force used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility, the statement said, adding that while a detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are "that the target was engaged successfully."
