British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
