Joint British and French strikes against ISIS in Syria

The British and French Defense Ministries announced that their forces launched joint strikes on Saturday evening on ISIS sites in Syria.

The British Ministry of Defense explained in a statement that its forces struck a facility that was “very likely” used by the organization to “store weapons and explosives” in the mountains north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

The French army confirmed in a statement that it carried out “air strikes on the sites of the terrorist ISIS organization” with the aim of “preventing its return,” without giving further details.

The statement, which was accompanied by video clips documenting the strikes, explained that they came within the framework of the operations of the international coalition led by the United States.

It reported that its aircraft “used Paveway 4 guided bombs to target several tunnels leading to the facility,” without specifying the role of the French aircraft.

The British ministry added, “A detailed assessment is currently underway, but initial indications show that the target was successfully hit.”

She continued, “There is no indication that this strike posed a danger to civilians, and all of our aircraft returned safely.”

British Defense Secretary John Healey said in the statement that the strike constitutes evidence of “the United Kingdom’s leadership and commitment to stand alongside its allies to eliminate any resurgence of ISIS and its dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East.”