Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
