Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Hits Daesh Weapons Depot in Syria
British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages down to the facility... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
