British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
