British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
