Coordinated Anglo-French Air Strike Strikes Daesh Arms Cache in the Syrian region
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages leading to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, 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 region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
