Joint British-French Air Strike Hits Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.

British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."

During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.