Coordinated Anglo-French Air Strike Strikes Islamic State Weapons Depot in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.

The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.

The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of British troops deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."

Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.