Joint UK-French Airstrike Strikes Daesh Arms Cache in Syria

RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.

The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.

RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."

Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The UN reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.