British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the site... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
