Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
