British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several approach shafts leading to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
