RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains 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 strike a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
