Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts down to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
