Combined UK-French Aerial Assault Strikes IS Weapons Depot 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 Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.

"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.

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

The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.

IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.

"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.

British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.

"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."

In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.

The UN says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.