Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using 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 hit a series of approach shafts down to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
