Joint British-French Air Strike Targets Islamic State Weapons Depot in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

Daesh - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.

RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."

In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.