Combined Anglo-French Air Strike Strikes Daesh Arms Cache in Syria

RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.

The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

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

"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.

UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," he said. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations reports IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.