Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
