British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
