British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
