Coordinated UK-French Airstrike Hits IS Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.

The facility, located using surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.

The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.

"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.

RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.

"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," Healey added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."

During December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.

The UN reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.