British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
