Joint British-French Aerial Assault Hits Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The location, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," he added. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."

During December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.