Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s 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), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he said. "Including them were a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
