Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages down to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
