Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "They were part of numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
