British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
