Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
