British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages down to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening 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 ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
