RAF and France strike Daesh tunnels near Palmyra

On Saturday 3 January 2026, RAF Typhoon FGR4 jets, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker, joined French aircraft to strike an underground facility in the mountains north of Palmyra, Syria. Crews used Paveway IV precision‑guided bombs against several access tunnels. Early checks suggest the target was hit as intended; the site was remote from civilians and all aircraft returned safely. Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies” to prevent any Daesh resurgence.

Let’s place this on the map. Palmyra sits in central Syria’s Homs province and is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for monumental Roman‑era ruins. The strike location was in the range a few miles to the north, not at the ruins themselves, and officials said there was no nearby civilian habitation. Knowing the terrain helps you see why a remote mountain site was selected.

When we use the term “Daesh”, we’re talking about the group also known as ISIS/ISIL. “Daesh” is the Arabic acronym for al‑Dawla al‑Islamiya fi al‑Iraq wa al‑Sham; many governments and newsrooms prefer it because it avoids granting state‑like status. The group lost its final territory at Baghuz Fawqani on 23 March 2019, yet cells persist; UN estimates suggest 5,000–7,000 members remain across Syria and Iraq.

Why is the RAF there? The UK’s campaign against Daesh is known as Operation Shader. MPs voted on 2 December 2015 to authorise airstrikes “exclusively against ISIL in Syria”, after the UN Security Council urged states to take “all necessary measures”. The Government’s stated legal basis centres on self‑defence, including the collective defence of Iraq against cross‑border attacks planned from Syria.

Here’s the kit in simple terms. Typhoon FGR4 is a multi‑role fighter that carries precision weapons for ground attack; crews typically use a targeting pod to steer their bombs. Paveway IV is a 500‑lb bomb that combines GPS/INS with laser guidance so it can be placed accurately on small features. Voyager is the RAF’s A330‑based tanker that tops up fast jets in the air, letting them reach remote targets and remain on station. Together, that mix is built for precision and to reduce collateral damage.

So how do you deal with an underground site from the air? Engineers design tunnels with narrow entrances and shafts. Targeting those points with precision bombs can trigger collapses that block access without blasting a wider area. The RAF says this mission hit multiple access tunnels, which is why a guided bomb was the tool of choice.

This was a joint operation with France, and it sits within broader international efforts to keep pressure on Daesh. Even as the coalition’s mission in Iraq transitions, partners continue support and counter‑terrorism operations in Syria to prevent a resurgence rather than to hold territory. You’ll see periodic updates like this when cells, caves or weapons stores are found.

Heritage matters too. Palmyra’s ruins, listed by UNESCO since 1980 and on the “in danger” list since 2013, suffered heavy damage during the war, including the 2015 destruction of the Arch of Triumph by ISIS. Locating a strike miles north reduces risk to the ancient site while denying Daesh storage space nearby.

Minimising harm is a legal and moral requirement. Officials said the area struck was “devoid of any civilian habitation” and initial assessment shows the intended target was engaged successfully. In practice, that means planners look for remote locations, check for civilian presence, and use precision weapons to hit small, specific features.

Language choices are part of media literacy. The Associated Press prefers “ISIL” because it mirrors the Arabic geography; many European institutions and Arab partners use “Daesh” to avoid lending legitimacy to the group’s chosen name. When you read coverage, notice which terms are used and why-they frame how we understand the story.

If you’re studying this, try building your understanding step by step. Start by mapping Palmyra in Homs province and marking the mountain range to its north; terrain and isolation help explain the targeting. Read Parliament’s 2 December 2015 vote alongside the Commons Library note on self‑defence, then summarise the UK’s legal basis in a few lines. Finally, compare a guided Paveway IV with an unguided bomb to see how accuracy changes both ethics and outcomes.

What happens next? Expect detailed damage assessment and further patrols as partners keep pressure on Daesh cells in Syria through 2026 while the Iraq mission winds down. For now, the main takeaway is that counter‑Daesh aviation remains active in Syria because the group, though territorially defeated, still operates as dispersed cells.