British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
