Joint UK-French Airstrike Hits Islamic State Arms Cache in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.

UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."

During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The UN reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.