British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
