RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," 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 British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
