RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
