Combined British-French Air Strike Hits IS Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.

There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.

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

IS - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.

UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."

During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.