British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
