Joint Anglo-French Air Strike Targets Daesh Arms Cache in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.

The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.

UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."

Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

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