RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
