British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages leading to the depot... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores British 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 area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
