Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages down to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces executed what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
