British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of approach shafts down to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
