UK, France strike ISIS arms storage facility near Palmyra, Syria
Britain and France have carried out a joint airstrike on an underground weapons facility linked to ISIS north of Palmyra, with Britain’s Ministry of Defense saying no civilians were in danger.
Britain and France carried out an airstrike on Saturday against an underground facility in the mountains north of Palmyra, Syria, which IS terrorists “probably” used to store weapons and explosives, the British Ministry of Defense confirmed in a statement.
Western planes are carrying out patrols to stop the resurgence of the terrorist group, the ministry noted.
“The area around the installation is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the statement said.
“Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels to the facility,” the ministry added, noting that initial indications indicate that the target was successfully engaged and that no civilians were put at risk by the strikes.
“This action shows our British leadership and our determination to stand with our allies to stem any resurgence of ISIS and its dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” commented British Defense Secretary John Healey after the announcement.
“I would like to thank all members of our armed forces involved in this operation – for their professionalism and courage,” he added.
“This operation, aimed at eliminating dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to step up their efforts, throughout the year, to keep Britain safe at home and strong abroad,” he concluded.
December ISIS attack on US forces in Palmyra
ISIS was responsible for an attack on U.S. personnel in the same area on December 13.
“Two US service members and one US civilian were killed, and three service members were injured following an ambush by an ISIS sniper in Syria. The gunman was trapped and killed,” CENTCOM said.
As a result, the Syrian Interior Ministry arrested five suspects in connection with the attack the next day.
Seth J. Frantzman and Reuters contributed to this report.
