Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
