British RAF Typhoon fighter jets joined French aircraft in a coordinated airstrike targeting an underground Islamic State weapons storage facility in Syria, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed. The joint operation took place Saturday evening in mountainous terrain north of the ancient city of Palmyra, a region long exploited by ISIS remnants despite the group’s territorial defeat.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the site was believed to be used for storing weapons and explosives intended to support ISIS sleeper cells operating in central Syria. Guided precision bombs were deployed to strike multiple access tunnels leading into the underground complex, neutralizing the facility while minimizing broader damage.

Military officials emphasized that the mission was carefully planned and executed to reduce risk to civilians, with intelligence indicating the site was isolated and actively used by terrorist operatives. Nighttime footage from the operation shows aircraft approaching over desert terrain before precision strikes impacted the tunnel entrances.

The strike underscores continued Western efforts to prevent ISIS from reconstituting its operational capabilities in the region. Although the terror group lost its self-declared caliphate in 2019, intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that dormant cells remain capable of regrouping, particularly in remote areas of Syria.

UK and French defense officials described the operation as a necessary and proportionate response to ongoing threats, reaffirming their commitment to counterterrorism operations that protect regional stability and international security.