Coordinated Anglo-French Airstrike Targets Islamic State Weapons Depot in the Syrian region
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.