Combined UK-French Air Strike Targets Islamic State Munitions Store in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.

The site, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.

"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.

RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The U.N. says Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.