Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts down to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
