Coordinated UK-French Air Strike Targets IS Weapons Depot in the Syrian region

Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.

The site, located using intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.

"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.

There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.

The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.

The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," Healey said. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."

Last December, the American forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.