Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts down to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey said. "They were among numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This operation, to remove militants who endanger our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
