Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
