Joint Anglo-French Air Strike Hits Daesh Munitions Store in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.

The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.

"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.

There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.

British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.

"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he added. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who endanger our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."

In December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, after an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The UN reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.