Coordinated UK-French Aerial Assault Hits IS Munitions Store in Syria

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.

The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.

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

IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."

Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The United Nations says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.