Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
