RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of entry passages leading to the facility... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
