Joint British-French Aerial Assault Hits IS Arms Cache in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
