Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
