Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments 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 each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
