Combined British-French Aerial Assault Hits Islamic State Weapons Depot in Syria
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the site... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were among numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.