British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels down to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
