RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
