Combined UK-French Air Strike Hits Islamic State Arms Cache in the Syrian region

British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.

There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.

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

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

"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.

British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.

"I must thank every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."

Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.

The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.