Coordinated Anglo-French Airstrike Strikes IS Weapons Depot in the Syrian region
Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels down to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.