UK and French aircraft conducted a joint strike against a Daesh facility in central Syria on Saturday 3 January 2026. The Ministry of Defence said RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, joined French assets to hit an underground site north of Palmyra. All UK aircraft returned safely.
According to the MoD, intelligence assessed the complex as a likely weapons and explosives store. RAF aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to close several access tunnels into the facility. Initial indications are that the objective was struck successfully.
The MoD described the location as remote and without civilian habitation. It reported no indication that the strike posed any risk to civilians and confirmed that a detailed battle damage assessment is under way.
Officials presented the action as part of Operation Shader, the UK contribution to the Global Coalition against Daesh. Ministers have previously confirmed additional RAF jets and tankers were moved to the region in 2024, reinforcing Shader and enabling interception tasks where required.
The Government’s stated legal basis for UK action against ISIL/Daesh in Syria remains the inherent right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter-principally the collective defence of Iraq, and where necessary the UK’s own defence-with UN Security Council Resolution 2249 providing political support. The House of Commons approved airstrikes in Syria on 2 December 2015 by 397 to 223.
Defence Secretary John Healey thanked participating personnel and underlined that the UK would continue to act with allies to prevent any Daesh resurgence in the region. His remarks followed confirmation of the strike’s success and the absence of reported civilian harm.
From an operational standpoint, the mission reflects established UK practice in Syria: precision engagement of identified infrastructure targets using guided munitions against access points, followed by formal post-strike analysis to confirm effects and check for unintended harm.
The bilateral element sits within a wider UK–France defence programme. In July 2025 both governments announced expanded missile cooperation, including further orders of Storm Shadow and work towards a successor capability-an industrial backdrop to continued operational cooperation.
Policy Wire analysis: This strike signals continuity rather than escalation. The UK remains focused on limited, conditions-based air operations under Operation Shader, conducted with close partners such as France and within long-standing legal and parliamentary mandates. The next update to watch is the formal battle damage and civilian-harm assessment the MoD says is under way.