Coordinated Anglo-French Aerial Assault Hits Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.

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

Daesh - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.

UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."

Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN says Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.