Britain and France bomb IS camps in Syria

Britain's and France's air forces conducted a joint operation on Saturday evening to bomb a suspected underground arms cache previously used by the Islamic State group in Syria, Britain's Defence Ministry said, reports CNN. 

Western aircraft have been conducting patrols to stop a resurgence of the Islamist militant group that ruled parts of Syria until 2019. Intelligence analysis identified an underground facility believed to be used to store weapons and explosives in mountains north of Palmyra, Britain said. 

"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility; whilst detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," Britain's Defence Ministry said in a statement. 

Britain said the area was "devoid of any civilian habitation" before the attack and that all its aircraft had returned safely. 

 "This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," British Defence Secretary John Healey said, referring to Islamic State by an alternative name.  Britain said it used Typhoon FGR4 combat jets to bomb the target, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker. 

IS (Islamic State) camps in Syria primarily refer to the sprawling 

Al-Hawl & Roj camps in northeastern Syria, holding thousands of families (wives, children) of alleged IS members, controlled by the Kurdish-led SDF but facing security issues, while IS fighters also remain in desert hideouts, operating guerrilla-style against SDF and Syrian government forces. These camps are complex humanitarian crises, with Western nations hesitant to repatriate their citizens, leading to dire conditions, radicalization risks, and ongoing security concerns. 

The United Nations says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.

In November, Syria - under the leadership of new President Ahmed al-Sharaa - became the 90th country to join a US-led coalition to combat the group. The coalition, officials say, is aimed at eliminating remaining elements of the so-called Islamic State and stemming the flow of foreign militants to the Middle East. Last month, the US military carried out what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an ambush that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

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