British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels down to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
