Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
