Joint UK-French Airstrike Strikes IS Arms Cache in Syria

RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.

The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts down to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."

During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.