Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "They were among a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
