British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their valour," he said. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
