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

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

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

"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.

There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.

The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.

British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."

Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The United Nations says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.