RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
