Coordinated Anglo-French Aerial Assault Targets Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.

The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."

Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The U.N. says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.