British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey said. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
