Combined Anglo-French Airstrike Targets Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels down to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.

The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.

British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."

In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.