Joint British-French Aerial Assault Targets IS Weapons Depot in Syria

RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.

The location, identified by surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages leading to the site... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.

The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.

British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."

In December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.