Joint British-French Aerial Assault Hits IS Arms Cache in the Syrian region
RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
