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), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts leading to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
