British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
