Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against 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 thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
