RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
