British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack on 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, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
