British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting 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 intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
