RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
