RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels leading to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
