British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several approach shafts down to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
