Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels down to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "They were part of numerous UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
