Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
