Combined British-French Air Strike Strikes IS Weapons Depot in the Syrian region
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages leading to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
