RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
