British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
