Joint UK-French Airstrike Hits Daesh Arms Cache in the Syrian region

RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.

"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.

UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their valour," he commented. "They were part of thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."

Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The United Nations says Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.