British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
