British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
