Coordinated UK-French Air Strike Targets Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

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

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

The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.

"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.

UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."

During December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

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