Coordinated British-French Air Strike Hits Islamic State Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.

There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.

The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent 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 every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over the holidays. This action, to take out militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

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