Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
