Coordinated British-French Airstrike Hits IS Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.

The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.

There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.

RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."

During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.