Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
