Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts down to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
