British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages leading to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
