British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
