RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
