Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
