The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that an RAF remotely piloted aircraft conducted a strike north of Hama, Syria, on Sunday 28 September 2025. According to the MOD update, the crew tracked a known Daesh member on a motorcycle and on foot before engaging at a moment assessed as safe to fire. The department reports the strike killed the individual and posed no risk to civilians.
The MOD’s public account emphasises positive identification and continuous surveillance prior to weapons release. This mirrors stated UK policy that operations must observe international humanitarian law, including precautions in attack and rigorous pre- and post-strike assessment to reduce civilian harm.
UK military action against Daesh in Syria rests on the inherent right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter-both collective self-defence of Iraq and, where necessary, the UK’s individual self-defence. The Government notified the UN Security Council of this position on 3 December 2015, and the House of Commons voted on 2 December 2015 to support airstrikes against ISIL in Syria, referencing Resolution 2249.
Rules of engagement are classified, but the framework that governs UK targeting is public. NATO’s Allied Joint Publication on joint targeting and the UK’s Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict set out requirements of distinction, proportionality and all practicable precautions. MOD policy on the protection of civilians reinforces those standards for UK operations.
Transparency and oversight are provided through ministerial statements to Parliament and routine publication of strike information. The 2015 Commons motion committed the Government to provide quarterly progress reports, while the MOD maintains a rolling list and news updates on activity in Iraq and Syria.
This latest announcement sits alongside earlier 2025 disclosures. The MOD recorded a strike in Aleppo Governorate on 25 February 2025 and detailed an engagement near Sarmada on 10 June 2025, both undertaken by RAF remotely piloted aircraft conducting armed reconnaissance.
The MOD update on 3 November 2025 also notes an additional Syria strike on 4 September 2025. Given the limited detail released, further parliamentary scrutiny will depend on subsequent ministerial reporting and any entries added to the monthly strike list.
For practitioners, the operational takeaway is consistent: UK crews are continuing armed reconnaissance in north-west Syria and will strike individual Daesh operatives when positive identification and civilian risk criteria are met. The MOD’s doctrine requires that such decisions be taken within a legal framework and a documented targeting process designed to minimise harm to civilians.