British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
