Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
