Joint Anglo-French Air Strike Strikes IS Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.

The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.

RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."

Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.