RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
