Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
