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

RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.

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

"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."

Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The UN says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.