Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
