Combined British-French Air Strike Hits IS Arms Cache in Syria
Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," he said. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, following an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
