Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages leading to the site... early reports are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were among numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
