UK: British and French military aircraft carried out a joint air strike on an underground Islamic State weapons facility in Syria on Saturday, as Western and regional powers intensify efforts to prevent the extremist group from regrouping.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Royal Air Force Typhoon jets targeted an underground site in a mountainous area north of Palmyra, the ancient city in central Syria. Intelligence assessments indicated the facility was being used to store arms and explosives. The location was assessed to be free of civilian habitation, and no civilian casualties were reported.
RAF aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV bombs to strike access tunnels leading into the facility. The Typhoon FGR4 jets were supported by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft, allowing extended patrol time. All aircraft returned safely, the ministry said.
The strike comes amid renewed concern over Islamic State activity following a period of relative dormancy. Although the group lost its last territorial stronghold in 2019 at the battle of Baghuz, Western officials say it continues to operate through sleeper cells and small-scale attacks.
US and Allied Forces Step Up Operations
In late December, the United States military said it killed or captured about 25 Islamic State fighters during a nine-day campaign across Syria. The operations were overseen by US Central Command and followed a December 13 ambush near Palmyra in which two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed. US forces responded with a wave of air and ground strikes aimed at degrading the group’s leadership and operational capabilities.
The United Nations has warned that the Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters across Syria and Iraq, exploiting security gaps created by years of conflict.
The @RoyalAirForce have continued to conduct patrols over Syria to help prevent any attempted resurgence of the Daesh terrorist movement.
The RAF joined French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground facility on the evening of Saturday 3 January: https://t.co/k3pV3OVvIi pic.twitter.com/mk9XvnPMpH
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 3, 2026
Turkiye Intensifies Crackdown
At the same time, Turkiye has launched a series of nationwide counterterrorism operations against suspected Islamic State members. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said authorities detained 125 suspects across 25 provinces, including Ankara, in raids carried out during the holiday season.
The arrests followed a deadly shootout in the northwestern city of Yalova, where three Turkish police officers and six suspected Islamic State members were killed. In a separate operation a day later, Turkish security forces detained 357 additional suspects.
Turkish prosecutors said intelligence suggested militants were planning attacks during the holiday period, with a particular focus on non-Muslim targets.
Regional Threat
The Islamic State has a long history of attacks in Turkiye, including the 2017 New Year’s Eve assault on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people. The group remains active in Syria, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Turkiye.
Syria continues to face severe security challenges following more than 13 years of civil war that ended late last year with the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Regional and international forces fear the fragile post-war environment could allow the Islamic State to rebuild its networks unless sustained military pressure is maintained.
