Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
