Joint British-French Aerial Assault Targets Islamic State Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.

The site, identified by surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."

During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.