Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets from the United Kingdom joined French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground weapons depot in Syria used by the terrorist group ISIS.
The facility, identified through intelligence, was located in the mountains north of Palmyra, a historic area, and is believed to have stored weapons and explosives. The aircraft used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, targeting the entrance tunnels leading to the destroyed facility. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the target was successfully hit.
The strike caused no civilian casualties, and all aircraft returned safely to base. Defence Secretary John Healey emphasized that this operation is another example of the UK’s commitment to fighting ISIS and its violent ideology.
This joint strike came after another major U.S. military operation in December, in which ISIS targets in Syria were hit in retaliation for an attack that killed American soldiers. The United Nations estimates that ISIS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
