Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Hits IS Arms Cache in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
