Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
