RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts leading to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he said. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
