RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," he said. "Including them were numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
