Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels down to the depot... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
