RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of entry passages down to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," he added. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
