Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Targets Islamic State Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.

The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.

"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."

Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.