Coordinated British-French Aerial Assault Strikes Islamic State Arms Cache in Syria
RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
