British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages leading to the facility... early reports are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
