RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
