British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation on an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
