Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
