Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
