Joint British-French Air Strike Strikes Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.

The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts down to the depot... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.

There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."

In December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.