Combined British-French Aerial Assault Strikes IS Weapons Depot in Syria
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several entry passages leading to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
