Joint UK-French Airstrike Strikes Daesh Arms Cache in Syria

British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.

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

"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.

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

"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."

In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

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