Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts down to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
