RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," he added. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
