British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several access tunnels down to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
