Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages leading to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
