Joint UK-French Air Strike Targets IS Munitions Store in Syria
RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
