UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the Royal Air Force joined French aircraft in a joint airstrike on an underground Islamic State weapons facility north of Palmyra, Syria, on the evening of January 3, 2026, using Paveway IV guided bombs to target access tunnels, with initial indications of successful engagement, according to X posts by Healey and DefenceHQ between 10:45 PM and 11:15 PM UTC. Healey thanked all members of the armed forces involved for their professionalism and courage, stating the action demonstrates UK leadership and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allies to stamp out Daesh resurgence in the Middle East, per his X statements. DefenceHQ noted detailed assessment is underway but initial reports confirm the target was successfully engaged, with RAF continuing patrols over Syria to prevent Daesh terrorist resurgence. Separate reports indicated a sudden influx of USAF C-17 aircraft at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, this evening, with multiple arrivals and up to 10 more expected over the next 12 hours, according to MilMonWorld on X during the same period. The strike aligns with earlier UK Ministry of Defence announcements over the past two hours on the operation targeting ISIS weapons stores, as previously reported.
