Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he added. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
