British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, 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 series of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
