RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
