British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels down to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their valour," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
