Joint British-French Aerial Assault Targets Daesh Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.

The site, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.

IS - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.

UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey said. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."

In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.

The United Nations reports IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.