Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
