Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Strikes IS Weapons Depot in Syria
Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of British forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.