RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
