British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
