British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
