British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
