RAF Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
