Coordinated UK-French Air Strike Hits IS Arms Cache in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.

The location, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.

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

Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he added. "Including them were a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."

Last December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations reports Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.