RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, 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 hit a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
