British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
