British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
