British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "They were among numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
