Joint UK-French Aerial Assault Strikes Islamic State Munitions Store in the Syrian region
British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey added. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
