🔗 Share this article Coordinated UK-French Air Strike Targets Islamic State Munitions Store in Syria A file photo of an RAF Typhoon fighter jet Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD. The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region. "Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced. There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added. The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft. IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019. "This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated. British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said. "I must thank every member of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally." Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area. The United Nations reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
A file photo of an RAF Typhoon fighter jet Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD. The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region. "Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced. There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added. The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft. IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019. "This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated. British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said. "I must thank every member of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally." Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area. The United Nations reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.