British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by 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 north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
