Joint Anglo-French Airstrike Targets IS Weapons Depot in Syria

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.

The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

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

IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."

Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The UN says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.