RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he added. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
