Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
