Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military executed what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
