Azernews.Az

The UK and France have carried out a joint airstrike on an underground ISIS (Daesh) facility in central Syria, according to a statement from the British government on Saturday, Azernews reports citing Anadolu.

British Defense Secretary John Healey described the strike as part of ongoing efforts to prevent Daesh from rebuilding its capabilities and spreading what he called its “dangerous and violent ideologies.”

“This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” he said in a statement.

“This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how our Armed Forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad,” he added.

The UK Defense Ministry said Royal Air Force aircraft had been conducting routine patrols over Syria to prevent any resurgence of the group following its military defeat in 2019.

“Careful intelligence analysis identified an underground facility in the mountains some miles north of the ancient site of Palmyra. This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the statement said.

“RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker, therefore joined French aircraft in a joint strike on the underground facility on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 3,” it noted.

“Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility; whilst detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully. There is no indication of any risk having been posed to civilians by the strike, and all our aircraft returned safely,” the statement concluded.