Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
