Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Strikes Daesh Munitions Store in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.

The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This action demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.

British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.

"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," he added. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."

Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

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