British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages down to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he added. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, 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 American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
