British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
