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 Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
