Combined Anglo-French Airstrike Targets Islamic State Munitions Store in the Syrian region

RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.

The site, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This action underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."

During December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The United Nations estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.