British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
