Joint British-French Airstrike Targets IS Weapons Depot in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of access tunnels leading to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," he commented. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.