Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed 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 release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
