Coordinated UK-French Air Strike Targets IS Munitions Store in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.

The location, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

Daesh - referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."

Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.