Joint UK-French Air Strike Strikes Islamic State Arms Cache in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.

The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.

UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," Healey added. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."

During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.