Joint UK-French airstrike targets ISIS tunnels in Syria – CJTF-OIR
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) announced on Sunday that Coalition forces carried out a joint precision airstrike against an ISIS underground facility in Syria, as part of ongoing efforts to prevent the group’s resurgence.
In a statement, CJTF-OIR said French and United Kingdom forces conducted the strike on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 3, targeting an ISIS site used by residual cells operating in remote areas.
The CJTF-OIR added that the operation involved several French Air and Space Force Rafale fighter jets alongside Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 aircraft.
Coalition aircraft used precision-guided munitions to strike multiple tunnel access points leading into the underground facility.
The CJTF-OIR indicated that while ISIS no longer controls territory in Syria or Iraq, it continues to pose a threat through small, dispersed cells, particularly in desert regions where the group seeks to regroup and rearm.
The CJTF-OIR stressed that the latest operation reflects the unity, capability, and resolve of Coalition partners under Operation Inherent Resolve, including France and the United Kingdom, to disrupt ISIS networks and deny the group operational space.
On Saturday, the British Ministry of Defense announced that its Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft carried out successful airstrikes against ISIS targets in central Syria as part of a joint operation with France.
The Global Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS and to supporting regional security and stability in coordination with partner forces on the ground – the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), emphasizing that operations will continue as long as the threat persists.