Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the depot... early reports are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
