British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey said. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
