British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
