British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
