Joint British-French Air Strike Targets IS Weapons Depot in Syria
RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
