Coordinated British-French Aerial Assault Targets IS Munitions Store in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he added. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.