RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, located using intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels leading to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
