Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts leading to the site... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
