Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages down to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were among numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
