RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages down to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
