RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
