British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
