Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels down to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were part of numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
