British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
