Combined Anglo-French Airstrike Hits Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.

The site, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages down to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.

RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."

During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.