Coordinated British-French Air Strike Hits Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.

The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.

The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.

RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The United Nations says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.