Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
