Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels leading to the site... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "Including them were a great many British personnel deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
