British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
