Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Strikes Islamic State Arms Cache in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
