Coordinated UK-French Airstrike Strikes Islamic State Arms Cache in the Syrian region
Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... early reports are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
