RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages down to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
