British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
