Combined Anglo-French Airstrike Targets Islamic State Arms Cache in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.

The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.

British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."

In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.