British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
