British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
