British and French warplanes strike suspected IS weapons facility in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria — British and French warplanes carried out an airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where members of the Islamic State group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, the British defense ministry said Sunday

DAMASCUS, Syria — British and French warplanes carried out an airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where members of the Islamic State group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, the British defense ministry said Sunday.

The strikes occurred Saturday evening on the structure in the mountains just north of the historic town of Palmyra in the country's Homs province, the ministry's statement said.

Britain and France are part of the U.S.-led coalition that has been fighting IS militants for more than a decade.

The ministry said the British military used Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets supported by a Voyager refueling tanker and were joined by French aircraft in the joint strike. The British air force used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility, the statement said, adding that while a detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are "that the target was engaged successfully."

"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence" of IS and its "violent ideologies" in the Middle East, said Defense Secretary John Healey.