British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels leading to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
