Joint UK-French Airstrike Strikes IS Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

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

The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.

British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."

In December, the US military executed what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.