British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," Healey said. "They were part of numerous UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
