The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Royal Air Force conducted a joint airstrike with French forces in Syria on Saturday, targeting what it described as an underground facility used by ISIL. The ministry stated the strike occurred in an area north of the ancient city of Palmyra.
In a statement, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said the operation targeted an underground installation that was likely used by the group to store weapons. The ministry also noted that the targeted area was assessed as being “devoid of any civilian habitation.” The statement referred to the group as “Daesh,” an Arabic acronym for ISIL.
The joint U.K.-France operation is among several recent actions reported by international and regional forces targeting ISIL.
In late December, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, announced the conclusion of a series of operations in Syria. According to a CENTCOM statement, U.S. forces killed or captured approximately 25 ISIL operatives over a nine-day period last month.
Separately, officials in Turkey have reported recent detentions of individuals suspected of having ties to ISIL. On Wednesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that authorities had detained 125 suspects in raids conducted across 25 provinces. This followed an earlier coordinated operation where 357 suspected ISIL members were arrested.
The recent arrests in Turkey occurred after a shootout on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Yalova between police and suspected ISIL members. According to Turkish officials, the incident resulted in the deaths of three police officers and six suspects.
Prior to these events, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office reported that Turkish police had received intelligence indicating that operatives were allegedly planning attacks in the country.
ISIL has maintained a presence in parts of Syria and Iraq after losing control of the territory it once held. The group has continued to claim responsibility for or has been blamed for attacks in the region.
