RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
