Combined British-French Airstrike Targets Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.

The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several entry passages leading to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.

Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The U.N. estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.