Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
