UK, France conduct joint airstrike on Daesh facility near Syria’s Palmyra
The United Kingdom and France have carried out a joint airstrike against what they said was an underground Daesh facility near the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the UK Ministry of Defense said Royal Air Force aircraft participated in the overnight operation, targeting a site suspected to be a Daesh weapons storage facility.
The ministry added that the facility was located north of Palmyra in an area “devoid of any civilian habitation.”
“Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France,” the statement said.
The development comes as the US has also recently begun striking targets allegedly belonging to the Daesh terrorist group in Syria amid speculations about Washington’s seeking to reestablish a significant military presence in the country.
In late December, the US Central Command reported conducting over 70 strikes on suspected Daesh targets in central Syria, using approximately 100 munitions from various aircraft and artillery.
The strikes, known as “Operation Hawkeye Strike,” were launched in response to the killing of three Americans in Palmyra on December 13, with the aim of “eliminating Daesh fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites.”
Syria defeated Daesh in 2017 under the country’s former government of President Bashar al-Assad, with help from allies Iran and Russia.
Daesh’s remnants, though, keep staging sporadic attacks throughout Syria, attempting to regroup and unleash fresh violence against the nation.
Today, Washington says between 1,500 and 3,000 Daesh terrorists are still active in Syria and Iraq, citing intelligence assessments.
Western governments assert that the recent military operations are designed to prevent Daesh from rebuilding its capabilities and launching new attacks, both regionally and internationally.
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