Coordinated British-French Aerial Assault Hits Daesh Arms Cache in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.

The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.

RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."

During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN estimates Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.