Combined UK-French Aerial Assault Strikes IS Arms Cache in Syria

RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.

There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he added. "They were part of a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."

Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The United Nations reports Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.