Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
