British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
