Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
