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2d ago

UK and France Strike Suspected ISIS Underground Weapons Site in Syria

Officials describe a precision action guided by allied intelligence to blunt any Islamic State resurgence.

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Pictured: Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 takes off to carry out Air Strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. On 22 January, the UK conducted further strikes against Houthi targets. Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a pair of Voyager tankers, joined US forces in a deliberate strike against Houthi sites in Yemen. Our aircraft used Paveway IV precision guided bombs to strike multiple targets at two military sites in the vicinity of Sanaa airfield. These locations were being used to enable the continued intolerable attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea. This follows our initial operation on 11 January, and subsequent US action, to degrade the Houthis’ capability to conduct such attacks. In line with UK standard practice, a very rigorous analysis was applied in planning the strikes to minimise any risk of civilian casualties, and as with the previous strikes, our aircraft bombed at night to mitigate yet further any such risks.
Main image: File image of a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 departing RAF Akrotiri on a live sortie. (Image credit: Crown Copyright). Inset left: French Air Force Rafale, taken from a video released by the French military to depict the Jan. 3 mission. Inset right: Still image from a video showing two weapons impacting targets around 40km north of Palmyra. (Both insets credit: French Armed Forces)

Overview

  • RAF Typhoon FGR4 jets, supported by a Voyager tanker, joined French aircraft on January 3 to hit a subterranean facility in mountains north of Palmyra.
  • Paveway IV guided bombs targeted multiple access tunnels to what officials assessed as an ISIS weapons and explosives storehouse.
  • Initial indications point to a successful engagement, with all aircraft returning safely and no reported risk to civilians in the remote area.
  • French statements linked the mission to Operation Inherent Resolve, and footage showed Rafale jets employing AASM/Hammer precision munitions.
  • Authorities framed the strike as part of ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from rebuilding, following large U.S. strikes in December after a deadly Palmyra ambush.