RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
