RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, after an ambush killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
