Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages leading to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
