Coordinated Anglo-French Aerial Assault Hits Daesh Arms Cache in the Syrian region

RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.

The location, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.

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

The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.

British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."

In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The U.N. estimates IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.