Coordinated Anglo-French Aerial Assault Strikes Daesh Arms Cache in Syria
Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several approach shafts down to the depot... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
