Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft 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, located using intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
