British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
