Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
