British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages down to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
