British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages leading to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," Healey said. "They were among numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
