Joint Anglo-French Aerial Assault Hits IS Munitions Store in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.

The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.

The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."

Last December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.

The UN says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.