RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several access tunnels down to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
